If you leave the Philippines and return frequently, without a residence visa, you need to show a ticket out of the country (My job travel occasionally made this a pain)

You normally need residency to buy life or health insurance.

A year of extensions can start getting expensive (Each visit I have made to immigration usually uses up the majority of a work day, with travel and traffic included).

That’s about it, and most of these issues can be circumvented in various ways. However, if you are staying here long-term, it is generally beneficial to obtain residency of some type, if you qualify for the visa. In my case, since Rebecca is Filipina, the 13 (a) is possible. Advantages and disadvantages of the 13 (a):

Advantages:

Much easier to get loans and such. Even if in spouse’s name, your income can be shown. Easier to buy insurance.

No need for a ticket leaving the Philippines. You can come and go as you please.

After the one-year probationary period, the visa is permanent (Though you need to renew your ACR I-card every five years).

You are complying with the spirit of the law (This is a technicality, but if you come as a tourist, it is expected that you leave.)

No need for visa runs.

Disadvantages:

You are subject to an exit travel tax each time you leave. This is in addition to the terminal fee that everyone pays. (I checked with immigration. On a “permanent” ACR, the exit clearance and re-entry permits are part of the I-card, so no need to apply in advance of leaving the country. You do, however, still need to pay the tax.) This is an issue for me, since I travel frequently for work, probably adding 40,000 pesos per year to my expenses.

It takes time and patience with the process. (Though it is not difficult, it could be a hassle if you are living far from an immigration office.)

In theory, you should obtain the 13 (a) before leaving your home country. However, in reality, if your spouse applies after you are here (more on that further down), it is not a big deal as long as you have a minimum of 30 days of stay on your passport. You can extend before applying, if you need more time than you have remaining. This was the major rub with me: At my last job, I didn’t sit still long enough to complete the process, due to work obligations. I was in and out so often that I didn’t have time.

The process was simple, though it took four separate trips to immigration for the entire process. The biggest pain will be getting the authenticated copies of all of the documents that you will need. As a precaution, obtain extras of all documents for future use. NOTE: I DID NOT NEED, NOR DID I USE, A FIXER. Repeat that. Repeat it again. When you look online, you will read many, many horrible stories about how much hassle the visa is, how much it costs, or how much time it takes. All of that is pure, 100% bulls**t. The process is easy, and, though immigration can be crowded (and a bit confusing), the staff are generally helpful, respectful, and polite. In fact, it was the other foreigners there who were causing more problems (When, oh when, will Indians or Arabs learn what a queue is???).

What was needed (Direct from the BI web site):

Checklist of Requirements for Non-Quota Immigrant by Marriage Under Section 13(a)

Duly notarized letter of application by the Filipino spouse; (Your spouse is actually requesting your admittance on your behalf.The BI web site,http://immigration.gov.ph/, has the sample text to download and they have a notary inside the BI building. Just like anywhere else, notarized documents must be signed in the presence of the notary).

General Application Form duly accomplished and notarized (BI Form No. MCL-07-01); (Notarize at BI. They have photographs available there for 4 for 100 pesos).

NSO authenticated copy of Birth certificate of Filipino spouse; (This must be ordered in advance and can be a real hassle. Note that the certificate must be on security paper. Old certificates are not valid.)

NSO authenticated copy of the Marriage Contract of alien and Filipino spouse or authenticated by the Philippine embassy/consulate nearest to or in the place where the marriage was solemnized; (We were married in the province. It took 8 months for the authenticated copy to be available at the NSO. Plan in advance and be prepared to wait.)

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Clearance Certificate; and (They give you this at immigration when you file the application).

Plain photocopy of passport of alien spouse showing dates of arrival and authorized stay.(You can make copies at the BI. Bring your spouse’s passport for ID also. If you need to extend, do this first and ask for at least two months extension to allow for any delays.)

Process, first visit:

So, we headed to the BI in Intramuros, documents ready to go. I needed to extend, so that process took one hour (Remember to bring the extension fees in addition). We then queued for around 15 minutes for an officer to check our copies and documents (important!), and gathered the missing extra copies. Another queue for notarization, about 30 minutes. We filed the application, paid at the cashier, and were given a receipt for my passport, along with a hearing date five days later. This is a court hearing, and is covered under the next section. Total costs for the process on day 1:

13(A) VISA FEES

Fee for section 13(a) initial one year probationary period:

1.Upon filing

Application fee

P1,010.00

*Express lane fee

P 500.00 (Just pay it!)

Extension fees:

TOURIST (NON-RESTRICTED) ADMITTED INITIALLY FOR 30 DAYS MAY BE EXTENDED FOR ANOTHER 38 DAYS

Visa Waiver

P 500.00

Visa Waiver Application Fee

1,000.00

Certification Fee

500.00

Express fee (Certification)

500.00

Express fee (For processing)

500.00

Legal Research Fee (LRF) for each item

P 10.00

Fees for obtaining documents ran about 3,000 pesos with the costs of couriers and so on.

Process, second visit:

So, the hearing was scheduled five days later, at 14:00. Your spouse MUST accompany you in person. This hearing is the actual formal petitioning by your spouse for your continued residence in the Philippines. The hearing is not in front of a judge, but rather, a BI attorney who reviews the application, verifies that your spouse exists, and “signs off” on the application. There is a 30-day waiting period for the application to be reviewed by BI officials. If you need to leave the Philippines during this period (I did), you need to advise the BI at this time. The hearing took approximately 10 minutes total time, though, be aware NOT to be late and miss the hearing, or the process begins again and the fees are charged again. You are given a telephone number after the hearing to call and check your application’s status after the 30 day period. Keep ALL receipts. Your passport is returned to you now (Not yet stamped).

Cost: No cost at this stage of the process.

Process, Third visit:

So, I called on the 30th day, and was notified that my application was approved. You can finalize the visa on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Intramuros. You have the option of paying an extra 500 pesos for “Double Express” for 2 – 4 hour service, or “Single Express” for 10-hour service. I chose double so that I could get the process finished.

Short queue, you give them your passport, and they obtain your file. Wait 30 minutes for processing. Pay the fees at the cashier. You then return , depending on the Double or Single express service chosen, at the appointed time. You are given your now-stamped passport, and directed to the ACR application queue.

Cost for visa implementation:

2.Upon implementation

ACR and form fee

P1,050.00

Change of status fee

P 600.00

Passport visa fee

P 200.00

CRTV and form fee

P1,450.00

Implementation fee

P1,000.00

Legal research fee

P 10.00 / item

Head tax

P 250.00

At the ACR station, another application to fill out, along with copies of your new visa. You are then fingerprinted (Free, but bring wipes to clean your hands) and you pay the ACR fees at the cashier. Your fingerprints are taken one more time (electronically, this time) and the photo for your I-card is now taken. You are given a receipt and telephone number to call after seven days. Time required: one hour, including fingerprints.

Costs for ACR: US$50 (Charged in dollars for some reason, but roughly 2,500 pesos)

Process, Fourth visit:

Very simple. Stand in a short queue to pick up your new ACR I-card after calling to verify that it is ready. Total time: 10 minutes, no additional cost.

The 13 (a) you are issued is valid for one year, and probationary. In other words, don’t do anything stupid and break the law. After one year (90 days before it expires… IMPORTANT!), you can petition for the probationary visa to become permanent. You still have to appear at the BI during the first two months of the new year and pay the fee.

This process was very simple, even though you feel like cattle a bit. I really don’t believe that a fixer would have made anything any quicker. Perhaps on the review after the hearing, but I can’t see why it would be worth the risk unless you needed to travel far to reach immigration and get things done in a more timely manner. Keep in mind that I am not an attorney, nor an expert. Complicated or unusual cases probably would go smoother with an attorney involved, or one may be necessary. In my case, it was straightforward, since I was married here, and my wife and I have both behaved ourselves with no legal snafus. The first step, should you have questions, is to simply call immigration and ASK. Please note: It can be tough to find answers on these topics that are reliable. The small canteen connected to immigration is where the employees all take their breaks (smoke and otherwise). Chit chatting with them informally is a great way to find out the real scoop. They are friendly and are acting like people there, rather than government officials. Just mind your manners and remember that they are taking a break! They were very helpful in answering questions with which I was unclear. You might as well, since you will have a good bit of wait time.

Keep in mind, though this seems like a real hassle, this is much easier than most other countries’ immigration procedures. Nearly every country has very high fees (Filipinos pay over US$1,000 by the time they get a US green card. My current Korean residence visa cost around $3,000, and my UAE residence visa from four years ago cost around $4,000, so, really, no complaining about fees! The documents required by the UAE were onerous, at best, to obtain, and very expensive), and most countries require substantial time and documentation. Consider yourself lucky that the Philippines has many, many visa options that are relatively straightforward.

John Miele is a Citizen of the World, having spent time in many locations around the globe. Currently, he finds himself in Manila, but travels throughout the Philippines. John joined the Live in the Philippines Web Magazine in mid-2008.

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Comments

Wow, John, so many queues, so many processes, and so many different fees. Sounds like everything revolves around money. How does one manage to navigate through this bureaucratic maze without losing it, especially when it’s probably so crowded and so hot in those offices and you’re so hungry and you feel like you need to brush your teeth, then you have some schmuck bucking the line. I get a kick out of those express lanes, singles and doubles yet!!! I say, U.S. supermarket checkout lanes, or better yet, any state Department of Motor Vehicles, can learn from Filipino ingenuity when it comes to maximizing profits. 🙂

Dear John,
Could you tell me if I need to go back to the Philippines to renew my ACR-I-CARD..13a visa..or is there a way to do this on line? All information will be really helpful..My wife is going back In May, of 2013..Could she do this for me?

I’m on a probationary 13A. I will be working overseas and have 1 or 2 weeks of vacation before it expires. Do I need to be present for all steps in the process? Can my wife go there alone and pay the fee (step 2) without me present? I know you are not the expert, but that is my situation as I forsee it.

Your damn right you need a lot of patience and tolerance my 13A took another 3 months from application the girl in immigration Manila told me they had a backlog. This is how it really is your visa goes through so many hands one weak link and it delays the whole system and we went to Cebu to do ours and on reflection direct in Manila is best and you know they’ve got the paperwork. Looking at my card they’ve backdated it a month from when it is issued all about money then again we will apply earlier for the permanent 13A. We had 4 visits also and we enjoyed the hotel break but flights are expensive and you pay around 9,000 pesos 13A fees upfront then 9,000 pesos for the permanent card after 9 months I do not know if they wait for the year to be up before they give you it but banking on another long wait.
Get your 13A NBI police clearance at your city before you apply as it takes around 21 days well in Dumaguete anyway. Manila is faster. You can also apply for a bank loan for your house with a 13A a big plus and no more going out once a year. Be patient its their system you cannot change that.

Nick: From what I was told, as long as you have the Icard, airport is fine (or you can still go to immigration in advance). I leave for China tomorrow, so it will be my first try with the process since I got the new visa.

Everything went smoothly… Only difference was a stop at the immigration office (at the right in Terminal 1, same hall as passport control, and there is a small sign with an arrow pointing the way hanging from the ceiling that says “ACR Icard holders”), give them passport, ACR, and boarding pass, and pay the P 2,160 exit tax (Note that this is in addition to the P 750 terminal fee that everyone pays). They then escorted me to the diplomat’s lane at passport control (no extra waiting) for stamping. Very easy, and actually quicker since I had no queue for stamping.

Hi John. Steve here. I have 13a with the respective newly renewed 5-year ACR-I card and will visit my kids in the USA soon. If I understand you correctly I will pay the P750 terminal fee and go to immigration with passport, ACR-I card, boarding pass and enough pesos to pay the exit travel tax and that’s it! Am I correct? Very helpful as I have never left the Philippines yet in 14 years. Thank you.

Thanks for the input, my future wife to be and I are trying to get everything going… my plan is to leave by June here… with me closing everything down here in Texas… its going to cost me along with my ticket around 3500 dollars, I will be able to take the rest of my 2500 dollars of the 6000 I would have saved up to do all this, with me to take care of the cost of everything else when I get there… from what I see, that will help tremendously for me! Quick question though, what do you do for work? I would love to get on board if it is at all possible something I could do! Thanks, In CHRIST, Richie Bagwell

i lived in the PI for 13 years and hope to return soon. However, I am retired with a pension, I question you finding a “job” there that would support you the way you are used to. Maybe, you could teach in the numerous international schools, Good luck.

we live in Dipolog for 2 years now , all i can say is that it’s a safe place to live,not too big a city but there’s lot of stuff to do, my favorite place here is Dakak Resort..the only thing i don’t like much is the traffic and the way pople drive here but i’m sure you’ll get use to it..:) wish you’ll like living here

Hi John
I liked your in-depth article on phils visas, so can you please enlighten me on the best way for me to go. I have single tickets for my wife and I who is a Filipina to travel to Cebu, we are emigrating for the for-see-able future

My Q is this ” we will claim balikbyan priviledge so we can stay for 12 months without any visa ( I think!!). So what are the overall charges for us to do this. Or is it better to get either the SRRV Classic visa or the 13a non-quota visa?

Great article John, I am planning on retiring in the RP in a couple years. I am thinking after reading your story and others it might be to my advantage to do all this at the Philippine Consulate here in Los Angeles. How long before my move would you say I should start working on this. My marriage to a Filipina was here in Los Angeles as I brought her here on a K1 visa a couple years ago.
Again Very informative and I thank you for sharing..

Hi Richard – I hope John doesn’t mind if I jump in here, since I got my 13 series visa in the USA. I got mine from the San Francisco consulate in April 2000. That’s been 10 years ago, so things may have changed a bit in that time.

When I got my visa (and Feyma and all of our kids got 13 series visas at the same time) it took about 3 weeks to complete the entire process. As I recall, once the visa is issued you have 60 or 90 days to actually move to the Philippines. If you do not move within that time, the visa is null and void. I would say that you might want to inquire about the visa maybe 6 months before your intended move, and they should be able to give you an idea of how long the processing will take. I do believe, from my experience, and things I have heard from others, that processing it in the USA, or other countries, is faster and easier than here in the Philippines.

I’m currently in the Philippines going through the process of getting
my ACR-I Card in at the Cebu BI. I applied for the 13a) Visa at the
Consulate in Toronto, Canada.

They told me it was good for one year and that I had to move to the Philippines
within the one year otherwise I would have to start all over from the beginning. Well I arrived 6 months after they issued the Visa to
me in Canada. BI in Cebu then sent me to the Department of Quarantine. There they told me that
all my supporting medical records expire after 6 months but fortunately I was
just in time! The BI approved my Visa application once the Department of Quarantine stamped my passport. They said it takes 2 months to process the ACR Card as everything
has to go through Manila.

In the meantime I am staying with my wife’s family in Surigao del Norte Province.
I might add I had a nice chat with Martin B. in Butuan City a few weeks ago!

Hi Bob- Like you I obtained my 13a Visa abroad in the Philippine Embassy in London but I got it on the same day as I presented my application. The important thing for me was liasing with the Philippine consulate in advance making sure I had all the correct papers etc. My 13a Visa gave me 12 months to enter the Philippines or reapply.
When I did my ACR I card in Manila it took 2 days (Used a fixer) sorry John but had no problems.
John you never mentioned medical requirements which I had to obtain in the UK as part of the 13a Visa application and present to the BofQ in Manila before applying for my ACRI card.
Regards.
Jim.

Bob: No issue… The procedure is different there. Also note that anyone getting the visa in the States will STILL have to visit immigration for their ACR. Also, from whyat I understand, the visas issued overseas now are also probationary. Previously, the permanent vs. probationary might have made it more advantageous, given the extra docs required in the States. Now though, I’m not so sure.

Hey John,
Want to thank you so very much for your professional presentation of the steps and cost involved with getting the A13 Visa!

I married a wonderful lady here and decided to remain. We live in Carmen near Panabo! There are some down sides to living here but I love the people and especially my wife’s family!

I have a vast amount of work experience and wondered what the prospects for work is here. I am 72 but not the usual 72. I am as fit as any 45 year old man and stronger then most. So working is not a big deal. I have a degree in Biomedical Elctronics Technology and was running the Center for Advanced Diognostics (a division of AmeriPath Laboratories) biomedical electronics department before an auto accident put me into recovery. The US SS retired me at 66 and 10 months! Also, worked Biomedical for Florida Hospitals and Out Patient Centers. That is the short list! Any suggestions of wher and what might be available?

Thanks again! I am on Facebook should you wish to see our wedding photos Nd such!

If you are interested in living in the Philippines, but you need a source of income, getting a job here is generally not the way to go. Firstly, most companies are not looking to hire foreigners. Secondly, you probably won’t want to work for the kind of wages offered here, usually only a few dollars per day.

To help out people like you, I have written a book called “49 Ways to earn a living in the Philippines” and I cover ideas of all sorts on how you can earn a good living while living in the Philippines. I have been earning my living here since 2000, and I earn more money now than when I lived in the States. So, I know that I can help you do that too!

As a special offer to you, I am going to offer you $10 off the book, but the offer is good for only the next 24 hours. During checkout, just enter the coupon code – 10discountToday – and the book will be $10 off the regular price. But, remember, the discount expires after 24 hours.

Check it out today, I am sure that this is what you are looking for, if you want to live in the Philippines!

Richard: Bob’s comments about six months sound about right. Biggest hassle will be getting any documents from the Philippines and getting them authenticated. That takes time. After you move here, copies of the same documents (Like birth certificates) are often required for many different things (Like mortgages or other countries’ visas), so I strongly suggest ordering multiple copies since you most likely WILL need them.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The requirements when applying overseas are different. I only required the documents I listed because I applied here…. It takes longer and more hassle here, but fewer docs. You will also need a medical clearance, several medical tests, and police clearance if you apply in the States. See here: http://www.philippineconsulatela.org/CONSULARFORMS.htm

Police clearance is the tough one in the States: Most police departments don’t issue them. The Philippines usually will accept an FBI clearance. This takes at least a month and you need to submit fingerprints from a licensed place. Get a couple of copies of that document, especially. It is a real hassle to get once you are here.

I was in and out so much that I only rarely extended, but here’s a close guess (plus or minus a few ‘000) It was costing me about 3,000 every extension (to 60 days). So, adding it up (plus the I card cost after 60 days):

First 21 days: Free

Extend to 59 days: 3,000

Non resident I-card: 3,500

next 120 days: Around 7,000 (These are actually fines for “overstaying”, even though you are “approved”.

After 6 months, certificate of residence: 1,400

Add about 4,500 for your extension to 1 year.

Add 2,000 for exit clearance.

One year visa extension total: About 20,400 pesosa (Roughly $500 spread out through the year). Note that the cost of a visa run may actually work out cheaper if you make it before the 6 months.

For a 365 day stay in advance, obtained in the US, the cost is $90 plus doc fees. I use http://www.visahq.com for unusual visas that I need to get Stateside, and their fee is around $50 plus express mail (Handy if the consulate is not nearby or if you are in a rush).

Here’s the docs for that method:

Original, signed United States passport with at least 6 months of remaining
validity.

I never stayed more than 62 days, due to travel, but roughly adding everything up, including ACR, exit clearance, and Certificate of residence:

For one year, adding the fees together, figure on around 20,400 pesos, give or take a few ‘000 pesos (about $500).

Note: You CAN get a one year travel visa in advance, entitling you to 365 day, and, it’s easy and much cheaper. This is actually the proper way to do it: The extension fees are actually overstay fines, even if the overstay is approved. I use a visa service in the States, http://www.visahq.com, for travel visas that are difficult. Easiest is to order from them or go to the consulate. From their site:

Fill out the application

Original, signed United States passport with at least 6 months of remaining validity.

fInvitation Letter. Copy of an invitation letter from family or friends in Philippines.
Please note that application forms MUST be SIGNED and NOTARIZED.

Please sign across the bottom of the FRONT of your photograph. Philippines tourist visa fees for citizens of United StatesType of visa Maximum validity Processing time Embassy fee Service fee Total cost
Single entry up to 90 days 3-4 business days $30.00 + $44.95 = $74.95
Multiple entry up to 180 days 3-4 business days $60.00 + $49.95 = $109.95
Multiple entry up to 365 days 3-4 business days $90.00 + $59.95 = $149.95

I have used VisaHQ many times and they are trustworthy and very quick: Especially if you are living in the States (For example, Saudi visas normally need to be processed in your home country, regardless of residence)

Keep in mind that you will still need an ACR after 59 days here, along with exit clearance and certificate of residence after 6 months. Cost is around 7,000 for all of the above.

Thanks, John for a good run-down. I may actually go get my visa soon … and then not … since I travel very seldom, once a year at most, the BB stamp is still serving me fine.

One thing I’d like to add for all the folks looking for the detailed answers that always pop up on an article like this … the rule is, YMMV … Your Mileage May Vary.

Trying, for example, to calculate the yearly cost of renewing a tourist visa is fruitless, for example, becuase over the course of the 16 months that I was living here on one, procedures and fees changed several times. And different offices (or even the same office), will charge differently for the same thing at different times.

My friend Claudette (who is an attorney, actually), posted about their experience in getting a 13a a few months back. Pretty similar, some may enjoy comparing notes:

Dave: Totally agree… Thr rules change frequently, and the satellite offices may be different. Calling is always best. I had looked into an attorney handling this, and it is certainly not cheap. It may appear intimidating, but once started, not so bad.

Like Jim I got my 13a in London – the Embassy was absolutely marvelous. My wife restored her Philippine nationality in the morning and I was granted the visa in the afternoon.The Embassy personnel were so helpful and the interview with the Consul was completely informal. Even when we got back to Manila the procedure at Intramuros and Quarantine was not a big deal. It would have been even easier if a document was provided giving information as to how many copies of each document were required.The only complaint I have is the digital photograph on my I.card is distorted and makes me look like a frog! – maybe I do look like that!!

Last year was my 10th visit to the Philippines since 2001. I married my wife on my second vist in 2002. She is now a dual citizen. I retired last year and our plan was to find a place in the Davao area and live there at least half the year returning to the states evey 5 or 6 months for a couple of months so I could see my kids. I also liked the idea of being so close to many other countries worth visiting and especially the reasonable airfares to get me there and back. Figuring a 13A was the best route , I started making inquiries. There are several Ex-pat communities in Davao with members more than willing to help the new kids on the block and what makes it so nice is that many have alreay done battle with the different pprocesses. Over and over I was told to get as much of the paperwork completed in the U.S. as it would shorten the process and I would avoid most of graft from the locals. So , off we go driving from Florida to WDC and the Philippine embassy. We had previously downloaded the nessisary forms and instructions so our duck would be in a row on arrivail in WDC. We paid the $150 fee and were told to return the next day to pick up the package. Package? It was a manilla envelope full of forms. My instructions were to give it to immigration at the airport on arrival which I did. I was told by the immigration officer that I would be contacted shorty by Davao immigration and he made sure our local contact number was correct. It was almost 3 weeks to the day when my wife received a call saying we needed to come to the immigration office the next day. I was fingerprinted , photographed and relieved of $180 and told they would call me when my card was ready for pick up. About a month later I got the call and went and got my card. Thought I was in like flint. I had what I thought was the equivilent to a USA green card. I was a little put out when I was told how often I would have to renew it though. Stll , I had a 13A. Still could not own land. The U.S. does not restrict Philippine green card holders in this way. Still could not own a business in my name. The U.S. does not restrict Philippine green card holders in this way. Still could not own a house and lot. The U.S. does not restrict philippine green card holders in this way. Still unable to purchase a gun for protection. The U.S. does not restrict Philippine green card holders in this way. I was totalyy unprepaired for what happened next. We are at the airport ready to head for the U.S. when I am told I must go over to this other line first. The woman informed me that I must pay p2500 to leave the country. I asked why and she said it is the law. I asked if I would be force to do so each and every time I left and her reply was yes. I was burning up. I paid all of this money to get this card and the only benfit is that you do not have to pay on entry. They get you leaving instead. There is absolutely no good reason to get such a card unless your stay is for a very long time and you have no travel plans to visit other countries. You might as well just get a tourist visa. It is cheaper in the long run. I hope they got my message. As soon as I passed through immigration I cut my card into pieces and left it on the floor for them to wonder at. I would reccomend anyone considering getting one of these cards ( plastic graft ) to step back and ask themselves why. Do the math and make sure this is not just another contribution to support the corrupt government.

Maybe somebody forgot to tell you – we are no longer in the USA… this is the Philippines. If you had even a small bit of knowledge about Philippine law, these things would have been obvious to you. If you want to do these things, you can always become a citizen if you like.

I had what I thought was the equivilent to a USA green card. I was a little put out when I was told how often I would have to renew it though.

Renew? You never have to renew a 13 series visa. I have lived here for 10+ years on a 13(g) and have never renewed it. Somebody must have told you something wrong, because there are no visa renewals on a 13 series.

There is absolutely no good reason to get such a card unless your stay is for a very long time and you have no travel plans to visit other countries.

You seem to have a 13 series visa mixed up with an i-Card. They are two different things. And, now, even with a tourist visa you must get an i-Card! No choice, if you extend beyond 60 days, you must get an i-Card.

As soon as I passed through immigration I cut my card into pieces and left it on the floor for them to wonder at.

Ah, the ugly American in action! You acted like a child, Kurt. Wanna know something? You just cut your own throat, because you say you don’t want to pay all the fees for an i-Card again… but if you come back and stay longer than 60 days, you MUST get one! So, now you had one that was good for 5 years, and you cut it up to show how much of an infant you were….. next time you come you will have to pay again!

Frankly, it is people like you who give those of us who live here long term a bad name. Doing petty little things like cutting up your i-Card and throwing it on the floor… people look at you and think “those foreigners are sure a strange group.” Thanks for making us all look bad!

Bob—I am sorry if you believe my actions make you look bad. Is this another of their trates? Judging all on the actions of one?

Persoanally , after my last trip , I would not even consider an exteded stay and would never return if my wife was not from there.

Just FYI , I am in the process of writing a book in an attempt to educate American citizens on how we are giving our country away. It is my hope to eventually force congress to enact laws that would treat those coming to this country the same way our citizens are treated in their countries. You may enjoy being taken advange of by I do not. Peace!

As I wrote above, the Philippines is easier and cheaper than many other places. Visas for residence are required to live in every country: or you are illegal. I cannot think of a single place on earth that isn’t so.

As to owning land and guns: Again, the Philippines is hardly unique. Want to try Singapore? You cannot own land there, and if you get caught with a gun there, long jail sentence. Use that gun there (even if nobody is injured), and it is a mandatory death sentence. Most of the Caribbean islands restrict land ownership by foreigners, as does most of the Middle East, South America, and large areas in Asia. Very few places have gun laws as liberal as in the US, and if they allow guns, ownership by foreigners is often restricted.

Hi Kurt – It is not one of “their” traits. It is a human trait. Do you mean to tell me that you don’t do the same? Do you judge Mexicans based on the illegal aliens in the USA? I feel sure that you do, at least to some extent, because that is just how the human brain works.

It sounds like you have given up on the Philippines, based on a few of the laws which are there to protect the Filipinos. Some of them I do not like either, but I look for the good instead of the bad. I know that I have a really good life here.

This “Us vs Them” attitude is largely what I read online before getting the visa (On other sites). Kurt stated something that I think is highly relevant:

“There are several Ex-pat communities in Davao with members more than willing to help the new kids on the block and what makes it so nice is that many have alreay done battle with the different pprocesses.”

Viewing this as a battle… Not a good way to start a new life. I have an inkling that he is a member of that expat group in Davao that bitches and moans all of the time.

I never really understood all of the vitriol and slamming about visa fees…. Every country in the world charges them, the US is one of the highest anywhere and most onerous in terms of documentation, etc. 5% of Filipinos approved for US visas and some Americans still feel the entitlement to complain????!!!!!

I also wonder about people who think they can afford to move here, but complain over a few hundred $$ in fees… If that is a burden, then, frankly, you can’t afford to retire here. (What if your pension pmt is delayed or some other calamity?)

Exactly, John. Kurt talked about having “paid all that money” for the visa… a few hundred dollars? Like you say, if a few hundred bucks is a lot of money to you, you really can’t afford to move here anyway.

Not to say Kurt was right in any way! Just wanted to say every penny counts with me! Some people say I’m cheap! Even my Filipino Wife probably thinks that of me but doesn’t say anything even though i make 65,000 + I’m this way because it can be taken from you in a heartbeat, I know first hand after losing my job for about a year and a half life was rough all that time but now that I’m back on my feet again i still tend to be tight with the money. So i hope that doesn’t affect me when we decide to move to the phils. As for cutting up the card that was plain stupid like throwing more money away. That’s just my two cents.

Guys——–My only reason for considering a move in that direction is or was for the happiness of my wife. I am not into bragging and I hardly feel this to be the place it should be done anyway but lets just say I worked very long and hard for the money I have socked away and we are now looking at 100 plus acre tracts in Colorado as an alternative. Having worked for a company for 40 years and retiring with benefits , I was amazed to find out my BCBS insurance was good in Davao at two different doctors offices and one hospital. Who would have thought?

Other than the unrelenting heat and humidity in the Philippines , here is my bitch. We have a country , that if it were not for the U.S. , would now be speaking Japaneese. We do not have what could be considered an open door policy for Filipino’s to come to the U.S. , but , for those that are allowed in , and the ways of getting here are many , we do not place all kinds of restrictions on them. Ultamatly , we allow them to gain citizenship having the same exact rights as those fortunate enough to have been born here. For those desiring for whatever reason to go the other way , look at the treatment given to them (you). I will not repeat it all. You know what I am referring to. After doing quite a bit of research , I believe I have come to the answer. The Philippines is owned and controlled by a certain number of families who do everything in their power to remain on top. They have put into place laws that can only be considered protectionist in nature as a means of insuring their continued rule. Many of these laws are directed at foreigners and foreign influences with foreign money and investments being at the top. These laws also act as a means of keeping the working class and poor in line as it prevents any kind of competition.

To me it is not the fact that I can not own a house and lot in my name. It is the principle of the whole thing. I believe in —-do unto others–an eye for an eye–Tit for Tat.

I know I have made a bad impression with some of you based upon my first post. I apologise. I needed to vent and I also feel that others have a right to know what to expect prior to making life decisions.

Please allow me to tell everyone a little about myself. Unlike many who go to the Philippines and other countries in that area , I never had an intent when I made plans for my first trip going there , nor did I ever engage in the practice of F—ing everything in site on my arrivial. In fact , you may think I was brought up in a cave somehwere because I did not even know that younger females were at all interested in older guys like me untill I first started chatting with them on the Cherry Blossoms web site. I met a girl who interested me from Surigao Del Sur. We chatted frequently. During this time I also met my wife on line whon was from the same place. I found her even more interesting but I had already promised to go meet the firstb girl. As it turned out , the first girl was a scammer and I married my wife. I did not jump into marriage with her though. We married on my 5th trip. I had to make sure so I waited untill I was sure she was the real thing and that we would hit it off. We just celebrated our 8th last month. There is a 35 year gap in our physical ages but not near that amount in our minds.

In the time we have been married , we sent one of her brothers to nursing school in Davao to include R&B and all expenses. Bought her folks a stall in the palinki , a two story cement house and renovated it. Her sister a two hectair fruit farm. Her brother a tricicle.

I have one very big dissapointment. Anyone who has spent any amount of time on Mindanao knows that these people are hard working. A lack of jobs / industry is a real problem. I took a real interest in this wanting to do my part in an attempt to better the place I was considering calling home away from home. There was a group I belonged to of Americans married to Pinay’s. The plan was for the U.S. government to levy a special 1% income tax on all Filipino’s coming to the U.S. for the first 5 years they would be working here. This money was to be used to build factories in Mindanao at first hoping to expand to other parts of the country later. Several of us were nearing retirement and at least one was willing to take early retirement if we could do this thing. We were going to be in charge. We would have the first factory built. Decide what could be produced and sold abroad. Hire the workers. Train them and train standouts as managers. It was hoped that the factory would eventually be turned over to the workers as joint owners. The plan also called for a percentage of the profits to be used to build the next factory. This could have snowballed into many many factories and good paying jobs.

The e-mail presenting this idea to the Philippine government was never even acknowledged. Two attempts at meeting government leaders in Manila were futile. The doors were closed. An attempt to discuss the proposal with the ambassador in WDC was met with a butt out.

I can only assume that their protectionist policies were threatened by our proposal.—-Kurt

quote:
As soon as I passed through immigration I cut my card into pieces and left it on the floor for them to wonder at.
end quote

I wouldn’t be surprised that one of the officers picked up those pieces and reported the incident to his superior. Could be that if Kurt is entering the Philippines next time he will be denied to enter the country for that behaviour of destroying Philippine property on purpose.

I believe that Kurt has no reason at all to live or stay in this country. He seem to forget that he will be a guest in this country, until he will have a citizenship.
Comparing the USA to the Philippines is the same as comparing mangoes to calamansi. You cannot compare them.
After all: This is the Philippines.

@ Kurt..
Umm.. Did you see Rambo IV? Reminds me of the “Christian Missionaries” wanting to “Change things” ..
Quote: John Rambo: “what you’re trying to do is change what is”
Quote: Sarah: “What IS?”
Quote: John Rambo: “Go home”..
I once has dreams of changing the corruption here.. rattling cages.. making things “better”.. but as Bob said Kurt, that’s the “Dream World”.. even an army of foreigners who “care” cannot “change” things. Not here.. not ANYWHERE.. until the PEOPLE want it as badly as they want the air they breathe. It’s not our “Battle” my friend.. it’s theirs. Good Luck

well it might just be worth considering how expensive it is to try to get into the u.k now philipino or american 50.000 in the bank there and a job to walk into that pays at least 19.000 per year which belive me is not easy for most that live in the uk. so it looks more than reasonable what is charged in phil.they dont require any of these things,plus the people of phil who most, have very little could learn most of the rest of the world a thing or two,when it comes to getting by on things that rest of the world would find impossible, and with a smile as well. allways makes me feel very humble when i return to the uk,and very lucky as well seeing as how i am poor in my own country.,,

MindanoBob: What is the 13g < would I not have to do the 13a first? Basically confused here… and I am in a very big bind on TIME, my time will only allow me work for 2 months in construction <siding) in Driftwood, Tx. then, I have to leave, I am basically pushing it when my sister did not even want me in the back yard in the shed… < that is where I am at man, in a shed… I hope that when I come and get with my wife… the business she wanted to start, she has started… and well, she wants to get a few more going! Anyway, could I use and or give her money to put in an account for us to show the Philippino consulate here of my bank drafts… < since I have ALREADY been sending my future wife money for everything, yes, I trust her because I already met her back in Thailand a LONG time ago. And just recently last year caught up with her on Facebook of all places! AWESOME, anyway, I just need whatever help I can get, I feel like I am in a Greek class… < It just feels like that at first… but, if there are much easier ways to get things done, than obviously I want to do it that way, rather than make a mistake… like what John was talking about in "hiring a "fixer" " would not want to make any mistakes like that…. My future wife is not dumb, she is just … well, busy with the business her and I started… again, any help would be nice! In CHRIST, Richie Bagwell

If you need a 13g, you cannot get a 13a. A 13g is a visa for a person who is married to a former Philippine citizen. A 13a is for somebody is married to a Philippine citizen. If your wife is a Philippine citizen you get a 13a. If she used to be a Philippine citizen but is no longer a citizen then you need a 13g.

Nice one Bob. Kurt said he would not return, all the better for the rest of us. I am not married to my beautiful baby yet ( there is a bit of legal work needed for that !!) but once we are then I will apply for the 13a straight away.

Does anyone here know how difficult/easy it is to get a 1 year, multiple exit/re-enry visitor visa ??

Next question. I lived in Puerto Galera for most of last year. The visiting immigration staff from Calopan were obsoletely superb. The best I have come across in any immigration office anywhere in the world bar none. My question is ” can they process a 13a application ?? Even though it might take a little longer I would actually prefer to use them as they already know me. Everything done on first name terms and the man in the office does everything. He types everything, not word processor, and simply puts everything in front of you after about 30 mins of tap-tapping away at the typewriter and says ‘Sign here, here, here and so on

Finally, the information here on the 13a has been excellent and I will print all of this out. Great work guys. I noticed a few people saying things to Kurt like “become a citizen then!!”. Can we as expats become Philippine Citizens ?? and if so what do we have to do?? Do we need the 13a before we do that ??

Great explanation John! Out of curiosity can you obtain travel visas for U.S. citizens at Philippine embassies in countries other than the U.S.? What I mean is: get a 1 year travel visa. At the end of the year pop over to Hong Kong and get a new one. It would be cheaper than extending visas.

David: In most countries, in order to get a visa issued, you need to be resident. Because of document forgeries, etc. they usually won’t issue visas otherwise: Even visit or travel visas. There are exceptions (China from HKG, Myanmar from BKK), but normally the answer is “no”. Recommend contacting the embassy first.

Hi John my position is am going out to the Philippines in Sep was there dec and jan also May & June this yr .I will be staying with a lady friend ( house has been rented in her name ) and hoping i could stay for one year on visitors visa.I have already paid for one months rental for house and deposit.You have stated that i need a letter from a phil citizean and also bank statement can you please explain more also re letter and also how much will phil gov expect me to have in bank to stay for the year ?
regards Kevin

Kevin: I never asked this question since I was in and out so often. For Filipinos going to the US, they normally want 200,000 pesos in the bank. When I travelled to Saudi, they wanted that much and a letter from my company. In my experience, a few thousand $$$ is normally sufficient for most places that require the letters.

The typical visa letters I use read something like this:

Invitation Letter

Dear Sir,

We kindly invite,

John Francis Miele III
US Passport No. ***********

to visit Bangladesh for business promotion.

During his stay Mr. John will visit a number of customers both Govt. and Private to promote sales of ********

Please issue them with visa to visit Bangladesh from 25 May 2009 for two weeks.

Thanking you

Yours Sincerely

In other words, they mention your details (PP number), what you will be doing, and who you will be visiting. Mention that your expenses will be paid.

The reasoning behind the letter is determining that you won’t be a burden on the government.

My wife and I use a Balikbayan Visa when visiting the PI. We both hold US Passports. We were married in Olongapo, Philippines in 1972, and have traveled back about 10 times since, usually staying from one to three months at a time.

Each time you enter the Philippines with your Filipina wife from Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, the USA, or any other foreign nation, at the airport at the immigration entry desk, you simply ask for a FREE “Balikbayan” [return to the nation] visa to be stamped onto your passport, and it will be. Your free balikbayan visa enables you to stay in the Philippines for one full year without any fee whatsoever. After 1 years, you would need to do one of the following: (1) pay the necessary fees to Philippines Immigration to extend the balikbayan visa; or (2) re-enter the Philippines with your wife and ask for another FREE balikbayan visa; or (3) get a Resident Alien card; or (4) get a retirement visa from the Philippine Retirement Authority [explained below]; or (5) get a Special Investor’s Visa from the Board of Investments.

If you are entering the Philippines without your wife but you are entering to join your wife who is already in the Philippines, you should ask for a “Non-Quota Immigration Visa” based on your marriage to a Filipina citizens who is currently living in the Philippines. Of course, you would need to submit to the immigration officer your Philippines marriage contract, as previously certified by the National Statistics Office [NSO].

Note besides using our Balikbayan Visa, we wire some extra cash to her brother’s bank account in the PI, and carry some credit cards. We don’t generally need much with us, because her brothers pick us up at the airport and take us to their houses.

My experience was pretty easy, took a bit of time only because I lived in Dallas and the Philippines Consulate is in Los Angeles. The biggest expense was the medical stuff. We didn’t need anything from the Philippines, Rose already had her docs. Dallas Sheriff’s dept provided my clearance, I think it was around $10, I called around to different agencies.

I downloaded the application, provided the necessary docs, medical, fees, etc. and FedEx’d to LA. They called me in a few days and said they were having an “outreach” program in Dallas in about 6 weeks serving the TX Filipino community. Six weeks later I picked up my passport with visa, and a sealed envelope to take to BI upon arrival in Manila.

I allocated two days in Intramuros to process my ACR-i card. Unfortunately, GMA called an impromptu holiday for that Monday, so I had only one day to process my card. Got it all done, card in hand, in one day. My picture is also, er, squished.

I hear ya, I could have done without the medical. The police clearance was easy really, at least in my case. I called, sent a check, and received the clearance. The rest of it sounds like more or less the same, and Rose already had docs so we didn’t need to obtain anything from the Philippines. Mine was perm upon issue, but you indicated that may no longer apply to 13(a) visas obtained abroad. Considering I’m in Gensan, and the ease and helpfulness of the Philippines Consulate in LA, I’m glad I took care of it before arrival, but as Dave Starr pointed out, YMMV. I don’t feel so bad about my picture now – I’m sure if an official looked at it they’d say “it’s not you”. 8-D

Gary: It try not to make my passport pictures look too good anyway… Things are getting strict a borders and even smiling for a picture can make you look different. Best to just do the police lineup pose.

Justg ot back from Hong Kong Extension run yesterday, Let me clue you in with Cebu Pacific. They insisted that I have a forward ticket OUT of the Philiphines when returning there!! Even though I showed them proof I was living here, Billings etc.. I told them I have never had a problem or have been asked for a forwarding ticket upon arriving into the Philiphines, they answered yes, it is random, but that is our rule.. So I bought a ticket back to Hong Kong, and they boarded me.. Maybe PAL might be different, just thought I let you guys know what happened…( Was not asked for a forward flight ticket when returned to Manila…hahahah)

Lenny: As I mentioned in the article above, that is a prime reason to obtain residence. Some airlines observe the rule, and some don’t. (I can tell you from experience that PAL, CP, Asiana, and SQ check…. CX, American, JAL, and Delta usually don’t).

I would like to inform Kurt that allot of the things that he is whining about are not like he thinks. If you are a businessman or you live in a remote area you can most likely get permission from the local police to have a weapon for protection. I use to live on my beach propriety and the police came to me and told me it would be OK to have a weapon as long as I kept it on the beach. Just be nice and you will be surprised on how much you can get by with. As with the land, the land in your wife’s name can be transferred to you if she dies. The land will be in your name. You just have to use the law to your advantage. I have a 50 ft boat in my name and my 2.3 hectors of beach with two houses on it is in my sister in laws name. Everybody knows that the propriety belongs to me. You only have to have the 3rd party sign a letter that the propriety is in fact yours. That way they can not just up and sell it with out you getting your money. There are loop holes in the law just like back home in the states..
Kurt if you do not like the laws here then if I was you I would only rent and take vacation’s. That way you can get up and move anytime you want to. Be happy and never mind not having your name on the deed.

I would not characterize them as loopholes: It is just the way that the law is written. If you trust your spouse, or, perhaps more importantly, her relatives, then there is nothing wrong with the setup you described. Same thing with gun ownership: You went to the police and got permission.

HOWEVER: With land, though you are on the title, you really don’t “own” anything… Your SIL owns it. She may not be able to sell it out from under you, but as you claim “loopholes”, the courts in the Philippines have traditionally gone against foreigners in such situations, and court cases can take many years in any disputes. Not stating you are wrong or anything, you may implicitly trust your relatives, and this situation may work for you, but I certainly would NOT recommend this to expats in general.

As to guns, though you may have permission, I would certainly think once, twice, and three times before actually using a weapon, permission or not, and then only in the most extreme, life-threatening situation. Again, foreigners would generally not have a leg to stand on, even if human life were at stake, and the idea of spending the rest of my life in a Filipino prison after shooting a burglar (non life-threatening) or vandal would put things in perpective.

I think the entire process is perfectly doable without a lawyer. All it takes is to know the process and not to be intimidated by the immigration personnel. A great deal of patience is also necessary as they (BOI personnel) seem to think you are at their mercy and can make you wait as much as they want to get whatever it is you need from them.

But in fairness to the BOI satellite office, they processed our papers very quickly. I do wonder though if it is a big factor that the petitioning spouse (myself), is an Ombudsman lawyer. hehehe… maybe…:p

The BOI people at Intramuros were fine to me… As I mentioned, it was foreigners usually causing the problems. The regulations are complex, and that office is very busy, so, as you said, patience is really what it’s all about.

Hi John,Thanks for the info on 13a.I travel back to Australia every 13 weeks(have been doing it for four and a half years).I am on a pention that if I am not there in person every 13 weeks they will stop my pension.I have 2 more trips to do Aug and Nov then I qualify for the age pension.That is the time I will apply for permanent residency.I will have to go to Cebu to do this and i hope it will all go smoothly.Yes Cebu Pacific do require you to have a ticket out of the country.The one time I didnt have they refused to stamp my passport and I had to buy a ticket at the airport before they would let me in.Cebu Pacific also got fined 50,000 peso for letting me on the plane in Singapore without said ticket.Also it is a lot cheaper to do all your extensions at one time for the limit of your stay.You can save over 2000 peso over a 13 week stay.You are only paying the express fee once.I assume all the documents for the 13a can be down loaded off the internet?As to Kurt his behavior is something that we expats find disturbing as it reflects on all of us.

Ron, Are you saying you can stay out of Australia and still keep your pension after age 65.
I lived in the states for the last 21 years, I read somewhere that I have to do 1 year residency in Australia before I can get my pension overseas. NB, I was entitled to a Defense Service pension at 60 but never took it due to still working in the USA.
I am going to Australia in March 2013 to get this all sorted.

Thank you for such a good article on the 13a visa. I will be going tomarrow for my third vist. I agree with you that in the long run it is cheaper to get the 13 series visa rather than pay every two months. Plus if you want to work here you need a work visa or a resident visa. If you are married to a Filipino and get a work visa that is fine, but if you want a resident visa you need to down grade to a tourist visa then apply for the resident visa ( more money).

I also feel the same as you Bob about the “Ugly American”. One thing that I can say about that is, a lot of Americans, not all but a lot want very country to be like America. Then on the other hand a lot of countries want to be like America and have want we have. Now if you want to live in another country then you need to change the way you think and act in that country. You don’t need to change who you are but you need to look at things with a open mind and be ready to change some things.

I have only been living here in the RP for 6 months now and I have found it hard to change some things that I am use to doing. It is hard to say what they are because it comes and goes as to what it is. Maybe I’m just changing and don’t know it. The longer that I stay here the easier it gets. Sure I would like to see some things change here, but the things that I would like to see changed are for the good of the Filipino People. I will say that some of the things I would like to see changed are the same things the Filipinos want changed as well, but then some are not, not because they don’t want it, they just don’t know any different.

When I get in that mood, I try to think how it was for Rebecca adapting in the Middle East,. I also try and remember that this move here was more stressful on her than me. Finally, I cannot change what the rules are, and it is unwise, at best, to throw a tantrum when dealing with any immigration people anywhere. Temper only makes things far more difficult in the long run.

I head to China in 11 hours. My 1 year multi entry business visa expired last month, so I needed a new one. China embassy in Manila would not issue a one year visa: only a dual entry (7,600 pesos). Why? It doesn’t matter: I need to go to China. Six hour queue to process and a three hour queue to pick it up. Are there ways around this? Certainly, but I had neither the time to deal with this via the States, nor the desire to go to Hong kong and issue same day.

The only other option would have been to pitch a fit, still not receive the visa, and put my career in jeopardy. There’s a point that you just need to suck it up, and deal with it.

You are right! What I was saying about change is that to change some things would be good, I’m not saying that I want to change anything, but if some things were changed it could be better for everyone, but in the end as you said, we just need to suck it up, and deal with it.

First of all congrats on your 13a. I will be arriving in Philippines on the 11th and my intention was to go and apply for my 13a in CDO, I had been collecting all my paperwork (now it seems I don’t need half of what I collected) but it seems my 10 days will not be sufficient now, as I want to spend most of my time off at home. I had tried here in Kuwait to do everything through the Philippine embassy but they told me I could only do it in Manila.

The information you have given is exactly what I was searching the internet for, for a long long time, so thank you very much for that. I have now saved all your info for future use, you have saved me a great deal of time and trouble. Now I will wait until my next visit so that I will extend my time off to take all this into consideration.

Sorry for the late reply… I got ill on my return from China and have been a bit “out of it”. Glad that the info helped. A short sojurn in Manila can’t hurt with the furnishings, etc. you may need to get also, so look at it as a necessity, but make the best of it!.

The multiple visit requirement is a disappointment to me .. as I live in Buenavista, and would have to travel more than once to Davao or Cebu. I guess Davao would be cheaper… though not necessarily easier as my wife has motion sickness and really does not like bus’s. But if its a month or so between trips it wont be so bad I guess.

Its good to hear what other’s have gone through to get what they want to be able to retire in the philippines. As I would love to move to the philippines. before my retirement age here in the USA. I am married to a filipina for almost 5 years now, we met online in 2001 and got married in davao city in 2006, sounds like the 13 series visa is what most people get, but what about an american getting duel citizinship in the philippines is this possible. we are due this next feb to start her USA naturalization papers and then once she recieves her citizinship then we will re apply for her filipino citizinship back so she will be a duel. So I would like to know if a duel would be possible for me. and if so would it be better than a 13 series visa or vice versa. thanks for all the comments it gives one thought as to what they need and the process of being able to stay in the philippines. we already purchased her parents house from them so my name is on the bill of sales but of course the title will be in her name. that kurt character I don’t think he had a clue as to what he was getting into with his wife and maybe he does not trust her enough to put everything into her name. I trust my wife with all my heart. and I know we can make a happy life returning back to the philippines.

Tim: It is possible for dual citizenship (Bob has written about it many times…http://liveinthephilippines.com/content/2010/03/can-you-do-that-is-it-legal/) , though it takes a long time. You need residency first for at least five years, I think, and there are language and other requirements. Keep in mind also that if you are considering dual citizenship for land ownership purposes, you are not native born, so the restrictions still apply.

so how can i live in the philipines with mi philipine gfrend can i go there on the 21 day visa free and just keeep extending is it fairly easy to do process thanks for any info u can provide me william burton in australia

William: It is easy, but takes time every time you have to go. In addition to the 13a, there are other visa types like SRRV, investment, etc. Dave Starr also recently wrote about entering as a Balikbayan on his PhilFaqs site, as did Chris Dearne on this site. Lots of different ways.

I know this is not exactly on the same thread, but in a way it is close. My wife Daisy and I were married last year in RP. She tells me that her friend who was also married in RP last year and who is already in US. Story short… Her friend told her that she (her friend) had to get her marriage certificate (RP) shown/registered with the US embassy in Manila. Our visa lawyer (US based) has no knowledge of this.

Anyone with knowledge of this? Daisy is very urgent of going to the US embassy to do this, but without full knowledge of what might be required. (multiple visits much waiting and expenses)

Any help would be appreciated. Website info seems to be ambiguous.
Thanks,
Jade

Jade: I’m no lawyer, but since married in the RP, the NSO should be able to get her a copy on security paper. If so, it should be easy to have authenticated at the consulate in the States. If I’m reading your question right, it seems that is the issue.

What a great account of how to do the 13a visa – I wish this had been available last year when I did mine!

The process I went through was exactly as described as above… when I initially got here with my wife (we moved over from China, so never had a chance to do the 13a abroad) we went to our local bureau in Sta.Rosa. Here, the (not so)lovely women explained it was a really complicated and difficult process, but she could do it for us, for the small fee of 50,000peso, payable immediately.

We completely ignored this official advice, and instead headed for Intramuros. 2 months later we finally received the probationary visa, and were advised to come back 3 months before the visa expired. We applied for the permenant visa on the first day of this 3 months, and had received the new permenant visa around 3 weeks later…

The only difference we had was we made just 3 visits – both times the same (much more) lovely women at the ACR desk offered to do the ACR card the same day for 1000peso extra.

If you live down south, and you can spare a week off, i HIGHLY recommend just coming up to Manila and doing the whole process yourself.

Steven: I agree… A fixer isn’t really necessary, and I really think they can’t speed things up much. The attorney is best for complicated cases, but most people really won’t need one. Patience is your best bet. I also agree, despite how many people dislike Manila, that, since decisions are made here, it is probably easier.

Mike from Dumaguete here, American living in Phils for about 2 years. Congrats on the 13a visa and thanks for this great article, its the best one I’ve seen online on this topic. I’ve read it slowly and carefully and I’ve also read all the replies.
There are a couple of details I would like to ask about, and also a couple things I want to comment on and I hope others will be able to benefit from my questions and comments, and your answers.

Questions:
1) Is the “Duly notarized letter request from the petitioner-Filipino spouse” for changing the probationary 13a to the permanant 13a THE SAME “Duly notarized letter of application by the Filipino spouse” that was originally submitted the first time?…or is it a new, different letter? If so, do you have a link to a sample for that second letter?

2) Is the exit fee always the same: 2,160?

3) You got your 13a in Manila, but can the whole process also be done in Cebu BI? Or is it necessary to go to Manila?

4) And…most importantly, and what I am wondering about most, is the NSO authenticated documents that are necessary for getting the 13a visa. Can you go into a little more detail about that and the process for getting those NSO authenticated documents like marriage cert. and birth cert. ?

Comments:
You mentioned in the beginning of your article that it is necessary to be a Philippines resident in order to get a Philippines drivers license “3. A Philippine driver’s license requires residency.”, but that’s not my experience, I don’t hold a resident visa, currently I am staying on an extended tourist visa, however I already have a Philippines drivers license. I just went to the LTO and filled out the app, got the necessary drug test, and physical check up (very brief and quick and cost about 300p for both at the health office just near LTO), submitted my paperwork along with my valid, current US drivers license (returned back to me after they processed the application), and paid the fees which came to a little more than 600p. And I had my Philippines drivers license, expiring on the same expiration date as my US license.

I also wanted to mention, because someone asked about getting a Philippines visa in another country other than your home country, that when I was in Bangkok, Thailand, the Philippines embassy there was able to issue to me any visa that was available in the Philippines embassy in the U.S. and they were very friendly and helpful too.

And lastly, some people commented on their experiences coming back into Phils and being required to show an outbound ticket or being required to show it before they boarded the plane going back to Phils. Well in one of my experiences, coming from the U.S., I HAD an outbound ticket going to Malaysia. But the Philippines immigration officer, who I believe was a supervisor, rejected me and actually threatened to deport me if I didn’t show a return to ticket to the U.S. I have no idea why they did that, there was nothing different about me than any other foreigner who got off the plane. So she told me to go to the PAL desk and get proof of my return ticket to the U.S. (I didn’t have a return ticket because I bought my round trip ticket here in the Philippines, going first to the U.S. and then returning here to Philippines) I talked to a few people at the PAL desk, then they told me to try a different line, so I went on the line of a different immigration officer and that one looked at my itinerary going out to Malaysia and gave me a 21 days tourist visa stamp. I wonder if anyone else had that experience at Manila where they required, not just an outbound ticket, but a return ticket specifically going back to your own country. I wonder if they did that because my ticket was not an actual ticket but an e-ticket and I had only an itinerary printout from the airline’s website?

Mike: That must have been a new or misinformed immigration agent… I’ve never heard of that happening. As many times in and out on the tourist visa, never once was I ever requested to show the outbound ticket by immigration, much less asked the destination…. Always the airlines.

1. I think the letter is the same. Notarization at BI. (I plan to do that…If they want different, there are half a dozen Internet cafes nearby to type and correct.)

2. The first exit annually is around 2,800 (I think that was it)… Subsequent are at the 2,100.

3. I think you can do it in Cebu (almost positive), but I think the times may be different. I would call them and ask.

4. The NSO has them all online now at the NSO site. The hassle comes in if they don’t have the docs on file, which may require a visit (ie… recently married and the docs aren’t there yet…takes time).

John, which website did you use to get your NSO docs?
It seems like there are a few of them advertised on the NSO’s website:
eCensus.com.ph, nso.citizenservices.com.ph, etc.
There is also Census Serbilis Centers throughout phils where you can apply in person it seems.

Is there any way to find out of they have the document on hand before paying for it?

Does the NSO receive new marriage certificates automatically (from the marrying offical, priest, mayor, or judge) or does the married couple have to submit their uncertified marriage certificate to NSO before they can get a NSO certified copy?

John: You did such a great job in this article describing your 13a experience, do you have, or would you consider writing a just as descriptive article describing your marriage experience, getting the paperwork, going through the process, office visits, interview, etc.?

im a little lost , im married to a filapinas lady now three years and am moving there shortly . i was planning on the 13 a visa but are you saying that when i leave the country and come back i have to have a return ticket to some where i am confused on this on point. or is it that when i have a 13 a i just pay exit fees.

Bryan: If you apply in the Philippines, in order to get here to begin with, you will need a copy of a ticket leaving the country (The airlines require it). So, if you want to enter on 13A, you have two choices:

1. Apply abroad, and at approval, you fly here on a one way ticket.

2. Buy a one way ticket here along with a cheap Tiger or Jetstar ticket 59 days out MNL to SIN as a “Throwaway” (You buy it but don’t intend to use it). Then, you apply for 13a here.

I found you blog on the eve of our trip to the Bureau of Immigration’s main office in Manila, to start our 13 (a) process. I have been in and out of country before on business, now I am doing it on my own. I can not thank you enough. It appears we will be 100% ready. Living here off and on for quite a while not, I was weary we would be surprised by something omitted on the website. Thank you again for your very detailed, and recent account.

This site have already answered many of my questions but still I want to clarify, If some one knows the answer to this. Is the 13A visa a separate document or card or some paper that goes attached to the USA passport? I’m asking since they said the 13A once permanent does not have to be renewed, but what happens then if you have to renew your USA passport, If that means you have to renew your 13A visa also? please reply if someone knows the answer to these.

Thomas: The visa is a stamp, just like your entry stamp (similar). Normally you can just keep your old passport with the visa stamped inside it, but it may be prudent to just go and have them stamp your new passport. No idea what this would cost… Probably on the BI site. I do know that the Philippines will generally recognize the valid visa in an old passport as long as you have the new one and the details match.

Thanks John for your response, and yes I can not find if there are any charges for re stamping the new passport on the BI site or mention of it. Also I have another question and maybe you can help with some advice. We are currently moving to Philippines the situation here in USA is very bad, we are going into the process of foreclosure of our house here in Florida, the question is If after we move to the Philippines I get hit by a deficiency judgement here in Florida do the state department will not renew my USA passport while we live in the Philippines because of back taxes? if something like that is possible?

I wouldn’t think that the charges would be very much… Few thousand at the most. Calling BI is probably the best way to find out.

As to your problem, commercial debts and personal debts are usually very difficult to collect from the States. There are no debtors prisons there. Unless you need credit in the States, you can pretty much tell them to go pound sand and there isn’t much they can do to you. If funds, like a pension, are due to you and they originate in the States, they can start garnishment procedures (if they go that far in court). Something to consider if you are intending to live here on a pension. I won’t get into the “what can be garnished?” argument. If it can be garnished under US law, you still lose it.

That being said, taxes are a very different story, particularly when the IRS is involved (I don’t know too much about state taxes). Remember, when you are at the US Embassy, you are technically on US soil. If a warrant is issued, you can be arrested there. Now, would the State Department intervene? Probably depends on how much you owe and if any warrants are issued. The IRS does flag immigration for tax violations. I have known many, many expats that cannot return home due to tax default, or they face arrest. If the law enforcement knows you are living overseas, they will likely deny bail or confiscate your passport until after trial. It is never a good situation when something like that happens (Imagine having to return for a funeral. What happens if things don’t work out and you have to return to the States? As Bob wrote earlier, this happens A LOT.)

Therefore, though I wouldn’t be concerned so much about owing a bank or over credit card debt, I would ensure that taxes, child support, and alimony obligations really, truly, should be cleared up before moving. This is a complicated topic and you really need professional advice. I suggest writing Paul Keating, who is knowledgeable.

One other thing to consider: Part of the residence process in the Philippines (Along with US visa for spouse, adoption, and even some of the marriage docs) depends on financial ability. You normally have to show income whether through tax return copies or through pay stubs or bank statements. The US government, if a warrant is issued, could also notify Philippine immigration (Would they? For a few thousand $$$, probably not. If you are owing hundreds of thousands? Bet on it.)

Hi John,
Firstly Let me Thank you for being so imformative and detailed about the entire process for the 13A,I really appreciate it.
Im yet to process the papers for the 13A visa,
and My questions were more specific
1)Do I need to get a Police Clearance Certficate from my home country(India) and also get it attested by the Philippines embassy here in India?.
2)Do I need to get another Police Clearance Certificate from my home country(India) ( which is only valid for a period of 6 months) ;once again while I am in the Philippines processing the Temporary Resident Visa,as The Indian Embassy in Philippines or Anywhere in the world does not issue a Police Clearance Certficate (Unlike Philippines Citizens can Get the Police Clearance Certificate Or the NBI Clearance Certificate From any of their Embassy in any country Which is really Good,I must say)
3)Do I also need to get my Birth Certificate from India attested by the Ministry of External Affairs and Home Ministry of India and after which Attested by the Philippines Embassy Of India.
4)Bureau of Immigration (BI) Clearance Certificate;(WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF GETTING THIS Bureau of Immigration (BI) Clearance Certificate and WHAT ARE THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR IT KINDLY PLEASE SPECIFY?)
Besides the all this Is there any thing else that can be required ,I have gone through the BI website and your blog Just wanted to make sure and double check its always good to double check things right.
6) and last question, How much Of Philippine peso Amount is required To show as my proof of Financial Capacity,Can Travellers cheques ,worth around PHP 1,00,000Suffice
for the application part,or is it necessary to have funds put in a bank account in Philippines.

Please Note I have read through your Blog

entirely and its very Informative,I have Contacted the BI in manila and they have been kind to reply back on it ,However I still had some queries If you can Help answering the above SPECIFIC questions thats all.

I’ll try my best to answer your questions, but since I’m not an Indian citizen, that may be difficult.

1. Police clearances are usually required if you apply outside of the Philippines. In most cases, it would be easier to apply once here. Problem is that since Indian citizens require a visa to even visit, you can’t really apply once here. When I lived in the UAE, I know many people had great difficulty in getting the police clearances in India. I would make certain that once you locate the relevant police authorities that the clearance is properly stamped, sealed, and on security paper, if they issue it. Note that the Embassy may require police clearances from every place you have lived over the last ten years, so if you worked in say, Singapore or the States, it might be prudent to get those too, in order to avoid delays.

2. I’m not certain that I can answer that question… Most likely, since you are already issued a valid visa, it will not be a problem, but I cannot say with 100% certainty. I would ask BI about this directly.

3. Authentication is where the embassy in one country authenticates documents issued in another. If you needed your Indian birth certificate authenticated once here, then the Indian embassy would do the authentication. The US Embassy, for instance, does not authenticate documents. They issue a letter that states that the document appears genuine, but they do not authenticate. Most PI government offices accept this letter. Note: Most of the uproard about authentication is related to documents issued in the Philippines, due to fraud and forgery. I cannot speak related to documents issued in India, but my guess would be that they are also scrutinized heavily. Again, I suggest that you get several copies of each and make certain that they are properly signed, stamped, and sealed.

4. BI does this at the application counter. They simply run your details through the NBI computer while you wait (That’s what they did here… not certain what they do abroad).

5. For financial capacity, my guess is that would be OK. I am not a BI officer, though. Copies of tax returns, bank statements, land titles all can serve the purpose, however.

Sorry I couldn’t be more help. Perhaps someone more familiar with the ndian docs could help? I am reasonably certain, however, that there must be some bureau in India that helps with these things, given the large number of Indians who work overseas.

Dear John,
Thanks for your Promt reply,
Im concerned now I have worked In UAE for 7 Months onlyin the past I havent stayed there at a stretch for more than a year do you think they will still require it,from UAE as well,
Also I was told by the BI Via Email reply that I need to process my papers once am there in the Phils,I have visited Philippines earlier on a Month Visa,They asked me to apply for a Visitor Visa again and than apply for a change of status into TRV(Temorary Resident Visa) once am there in the Philippines.
and when i asked then specific questions they were unable to answer that they just gave me a generic reply to visit the website,
The Philippine embassy does not have a clue they just asked to inquire directly from BI in manila which i did,Now im in a limbo what to do,
Please help!

Im seriously needing some counselling and correct advice as people have given me wrong information,and my wife is looking forward to us starting a family etc you know what i mean John,after marriage you have commitments etc.
If possible please help.

Besides in india There is no one i have found who can give me a proper answer as very few Indians actually apply for 13A. so i dont really have anybody here in india to look forward to.

Ron: OK… I would bet 90% that they will require the UAE police clearance, in particular if you have a UAE work visa in your passport. Fortunately, they are very easy to get in the UAE at any police station…(With so many foreign workers, it is common). Just make certain that you go to the police in the proper emirate (ie. If you live in Sharjah and work in Dubai, go to the Sharjah police.)

If BI is telling you to enter on a tourist visa and apply once here, then I think that is your best bet. It sounds as if you may need to consult with an immigration attorney, though. If you have a tourist visa and can come here legally, what you are risking is having to leave the Philippines. Thugh that may not be so much an issue, reacquiring a UAE visa is expensive and a real pain. It really is a tough call, and the question you ask is, honestly, far beyond my knowledge. The expense with an attorney may serve you well in this instance.

Ron: Thinking this further through, I suggest that you apply for the longest stay tourist visa that the embassy in the UAE will allow. Since you are resident there, you can use the embassy in Abu Dhabi. See how long the longest stay tourist visa they will issue, and deal with it once here, direct with BI. Get as many of the documents you may conceivably need in advance (WITH translations… UAE docs are in Arabic). Once here, if you are on a long authorized stay, that gives you more time to apply. It may cost you the extensions, but you should be able to keep extending up to the two year maximum. So, I sugggest going that route and applying for the 13A immediately after arriving, paying the extension fee on site and following the procedure I outlined above.

Dear John,
Thank you for your reply,
However I guess we have a slight misscommunication here,
I have a UAE work visa which was issed in may 2009 i exited dubai in october 2009(I resigned from my work however it wasnt accepted by my employer,I didnt like My Job) I returned back to india,I again went back in December 2009 for them to accept my resignation and cancel my visa but they did not want to cancel it so i exited in january 2010 and since than havent gone back to UAE, im sure you know that if you stay out of the UAE for more than 6 months the visa automatically gets cancelled so now why would i need to get a Police clearance certificate from UAE,besides
just a logical question,Lets assume you are a working individual and you have worked in different places like russia for lets say 5 years and than you return back home and stay in the USA for 6-7 years ,now you were to apply for a 13A visa in philippines or for that matter anywhere else in any other country for a temorary resident visa,now John 5 years in russia and than 6-7 years in your home country USA, and now you wanted to apply for 13A visa dont you think this is a long time and you wont even have any contacts in russia to give you or assist you with a Police clearance certificate,all your contacts friends etc you may have lost by this time right,so dont you think as long as you have the Police clearance certificate from the country of your origin its more than enough,Im just giving an example,assume you may have worked for atleast 5 to 7 different countries would you just sit 1st and gather the latest Police clearance certificate’s from all these countries that you have worked, No , right
I was discussing the same with my friend he said the same thing
anyways thanks for the info so far,
if you can further share some light on this would be great.

I traveled to philippines for a month this year wasnt asked any questions,about the UAE Visa they just issued a 30 days visa,and note i travelled alone not along with my wife after marriage ,my wife had came down to india earlier to get married so we have the marriage certificate issued by the indian goverment which is authenticated by the Philippines embassy here in india.

I really appericate your time John and your valauble insight into the matter,If possible just try and cross check about the Police clearance certificate requirement for UAE just once more as this time i will be applying for a 13A ,and if you have a reference for a good Immigration Attorney there,would be great help.
Thank you once again john looking forward to your guidance Mate,
Best regards,
Ron

The Philippines requires you to get a police clearance in every location where you have lived during the past 5 years. No question about it – it is required. If you lived in the UAE, as you say you did, then you need the police clearance. John is 100% correct.

To Bob,
Thanks,but How do i go about getting a Police clearance certificate from the UAE from Here(India).
I mean of course you also dont know the answer,but thats the question which im asking myself as well,
and the UAE Consulate in india, do not issue a police clearance certificate,besides If i travel to UAE to get just a police clearance certificate they Advised me since now you no longer are a UAE resident as You have stayed outside the UAE for more than 6 months the resident visa automatically is cancelled you no longer come in the ,How do i say Jurisdictiction of the UAE.

anyways
sir ,Now that you told me that i would need it but can you also suggest or tell me HOW to get it? as thats the big question I have as well.
as im in the middle here between something i dont know what to do here, about it?

Ron: Rebecca got a UAE police clearance by sending a written request there to her brother , who delivered it in person to the police department in Abu Dhabi, along with the fee (I don’t remember how much it was… Under 100 Dhs, I think). They then had it available after about two days, he took it to one of the translator shops and they gave a translation sheet for about another 20 Dhs.

The police clearance will take some time to obtain. Since they issued the tourist visa, you wouldn’t need one for that, but since 13A is PR, they will see the residence visa in your passport. It is far better to be prepared in advance. Lying and saying you didnt live there is grounds for denial, so I wouldn’t “not mention it”.

As to a lawyer referral, I really cannot recommend anyone… I haven’t needed one and so I don’t have the experience. I suggest you post a question in the forum asking some of the readers if they know a reputable lawyer.

John- We have done the hearing then i left the Philippines, lately we called the immigration office and they informed that my case is approved (more than a month a ago), so i am arriving to the Philippines next week to submit my passport, my questions:

1- Is it a problem that the approval happened while i am out of country?
2- As i have to leave back again after 20 days, is there will be enough time to finish everything (stamping the a 13, receiving the ACR I and the exit process).
Thanks

Sherif: I had to leave on a business trip, and it was no problem. I did notify them in advance of leaving, however. As to your upcoming trip, I think they can extend you (I forget what they call it… I think it was “reaffirmation of status” form, or something similar. It took about 14 days after the approval, most of which was related to NBI for the ACR. Again, I would just make certain that they are aware of it.

John: Thank you for your reply. I did informed them about my leave at the time of hearing and i made a request to allow them delay my case one or two months and that already happened, but now i wish i dont need to go for this extension issue hoping that i am still within the 2 month period from the approval date.

Hi John i have been here in Phil since 22 sep last year, i had already visa extension from Phil embassy in london till 20 th dec last year,i went for visa extension here in Manila on dec 20th i paid around 7000 php for extension and card ect.So i have to return next week for another 2 months extension so this will take me up to 6 months.What the best option after this , to take a trip a to h/k or singapore ?

I suggested that if your trying to apply for 13 A Visa rather first exit the Philippines after your 21 days Visa expires even just to Hong Kong with your wife and came back both an hour after so that you will not pay anymore for the extension while processing the 13 A Visa because you will be given a Balikbayan Visa valid for 1 year because If you apply first for the 13 A Visa you cannot go out of the country so you need to extend and it is expensive right?

Annaliza: That will work, but the additional extension was not so expensive as a flight (Realistically, we are talking about $50). You CAN leave the country after starting the 13a (I did), you just need to inform immigration about it.

Just received word today that my 13a was approved….We initiated it Jan 14 and was quite surprised it was so quick. We hired a lady who owns an agency here in Cebu along with her ex-pat husband.

Though the cost was more than some would like to pay, I have to say we are very pleased with her services, and I know others who have dealt with her in other visa matters, and all have been very happy.

Pertaining leaving the country while process is in motion….she told us today that one CANNOT leave . I will talk to her again tomorrow and see if she can clarify.

I’ll be fingerprinted tomorrow and then wait a week or so for the card.

The BI has a procedure in place, but you need to let them know (At least they did at te Intramuros location, but as anything else, I suppose it could vary office to office). It may need to be that you ask in person… Not sure. I can say that I told them that I had a short business trip that I needed to leave the Philippines for a few days. They checked how many days I had remaining, notated my file, and said I was free to travel (I had to show them the copy of my flight itinerary).

Thank you for sharing this lengthy yet very informative piece. Just one question: Upon getting this probationary visa, one could be eligible to work in the Philippines? Or you have to wait for one year since this is probationary? thanks.

I flit in and out of the Philippines but usually get the 1 year visa when entering with my wife. The problem that we have is setting up bill payments etc from our HSBC account. Apparently as a current non-resident there are many restrictions. Also I have to send money to a UK savings account then ask them ever so nicely to transfer the money to my PHP account so that I can use it. Trivial things but having to make multiple transactions every month at 17GBP per time is a pain.

Anyway, to my questions about the 13a application I know most of the information is there above but so many people have used your good advice and asked questions that it takes some sifting through now to find the answers.
1) I believe that police clearance is not required when applying in the Philippines. Is this correct. I am an oil industry designer and have worked in about 8 different countries in the last 5 years so it would be nigh on impossible to get all of the clearances!
2) Is it correct that after the initial filing and hearing that I can leave the country? I work in Singapore currently and obviously don’t want more than a month off work.

Alan: They didn’t ask me for it, but I had it anyway… I would obtain the clearances based on your official residence (I know a lot of people in that industry… Many used their company address or the address of their tax returns as a “residence”, since jobs could be 1 month or 3 years. You most likely will not need it if you apply here, though. (It may be better to get it anyway… Some things will require it)

As to leaving the country for work, you must notify BI before the hearing… You will need to be present here at least at filing, and to pick up the docs.

I’m in the philippines and tried for the 13a spousal visa, but the interview went terrible. My wife and I have been married 2 years, our immigration to the usa is still pending. So i flew to the philippines to stay with her until we are approved. I had some extra money from the usa coming in and my wife works so we figured it would no problem. (we were wrong)

We get to the interview and they are late, 30 min late to be exact. No problem we thought, eventually we are told to speak to the “special investigator” about our application

So while there, this guy makes a bunch of insane accusations . Here is a sample of how it went

The investigator said ” why arent you with your ex wife ” (she is not filipina my ex wife is american) I explained that my ex wife cheated and abandoned the marriage so I filed for divorce.

The investigator said ” Yeah I bet you were cheating too” I thought what??? I explained that was false . Then he said ” you are a wanted person at interpol” I just laughed and said no, and I showed him my police clearance that I got from the usa (notarized paper showing i had no warrants or problems etc)

He didnt care to see any paper I handed him, he didnt even look at them. He then went on and on about marriage fraud claiming people get married just to get a visa (mind you we have been married 2 years and its my 3rd trip to the philippines)

At the end of the interview my wife was in tears, the guy was rude and hateful. Im not sure why we were so polite. He said I didnt have enough money to stay in the philippines ( yet they have no problem with me paying $60+ for 30 day visa stamps) When I do have some income from the usa, they demanded proof which I didnt have, as i had just arrived. I explained that I did not read any money requirements or specific amount needed. (I explained I am not a burden and showed my wife and I bank account info) which he did not accept

Once we were told to leave we were not given any information of what to check on, or any phone # to call, he just told us to leave and thats it

Sighh: Wow… I’ve honestly never heard of such situations at BI here. The staff can occasionally be abrupt, but that seems uncalled for. I really don’t know what you could do as regards the 13a except perhaps retain an attorney and re-apply.

Perhaps one of the lawyers who read this site will have a suggestion. Since you are in the midst of obtaining US residency, the tourist visa may be the best bet and just extend.

Just try again. Or call and complain. You probably got the same guy as us. The first guy was a total arsehole(and I think he was gay). After learning that I knew all the laws and fees, and we have kids, he let us go approved. The second guy was super nice. And in 30 days, all went well. Even though you are American, he is probably racist towards Indians. Many o’ you chaps here. BTW- kihala? Tiga?

Hi JohnM..
thanks for your article, now i got 13 (a) visa without using any agents by paying much. just i pay BI charges.. and according to my experience i left Philippines without informing BI.. so they give me little bit hard time for 4-5 days for re-validation and charge me 2around 2200 peso extra for re-validation.
Its better inform BI so at least u can save 5 days and 1 time extra visit to BI at Intramorous as well as 2200 pesos also.
Note: – do not cross the 2 weeks after they approved your application. means start date is the date when they approved you .. not the apply date). I m lucky because i got 2 months, but now changed to 2 weeks.
In my personal opinion, its easy process just you have to be on time and wait for further process. to change Status from Tourist to TRV they keep passport for long hours so better submit passport with receipt of payment early then u can end ACR-ICard process on same day if u submit late then they will give your passport back after 4:30 pm then u need to visit BI next Day again for a ACR-ICard. and do not forget 2×2 Photo to stamp on Fingerprint section if you dont have then you need to pay 100 peso extra there at BI for Urgent photograph and if late than 4:45 then its hard for you so be prepared..

In my experience:
1. go to BI with All documents they asking for.. ( you can notarized at BI also)
2. they call for small Interview by attorney there. ( be sure that you are not waring with wife at that time hehehe).
3. to pay and get stamped passport and apply for ACR-ICard if you have time on same day. [For me- this was my visit to pay penalty for re-validation] .
4. Collect ICard. ( after 2-3 Weeks). Finished your process.

for me 4th was to to get passport stamped with status changed after 5 days of applying for re-validation. and im lucky that i got my passport back at around 3:30 pm so apply for ACR-ICARD and give finger print, and they took photo.
(Note:- don’t makes irritation to the officer inside the windows, if so then they will make u wait long. i have my passport with mark so i never make them irritation so after i saw passport i ask them and they provide me, But there was 1 couple who keep asking and asking. Their number was before than me but they don’t get their [passport back before the time is written on the cheat as on my chit the time was written 4:45, but i got that at 3:30 and on their chit there were written 4:40 and they got their passport back on 4:40. so beware never make them irritation by asking and asking just you don’t have any choice beside wait the time]

any way that was my experience and hope guys can save few by doing through agents bcoz even using agents time is same and you need to appear at BI too..

hello…good day!i am also planning to apply for a 13A visa for my japanese spouse one of this days…but i am curious if we need to get the NBI clearance,medical test,bureau of quarantine clearance before we proceed to the immigration here in cebu…..but as ive read ur experienced in getting the visa you didnt mention about those things?please give me some piece of an advice…..and as ive heard from the experienced of the other japanese spouse who also applied for the 13A visa they took much longer approx.1year from the date applied before they recieved there marriage visa……so i was wondering if we also will encounter that kind problems…….

Aireen: I’m not certain about Japan… However, most Japanese have few, if any problems, with visas to other places. If applied for here, you should need just the docs mentioned above, but since Japanese documents will require translation / authentication, keep that in mind. This may be why the process takes longer (not the process, but obtaining docs, translations, authentications… I would contact the RP embassy in Tokyo.)

for frankie..
if you are going to an interview you need to go with your wife but if you are going to pick up no need to go with her at least not in Manila about the documents you need only your passport..

For everybody who need some more information about the BI just visit there web site you can see there all you need… you dont need even a notary there is a notary in the BI for free just make sure you need the letter and they will notary for free…http://immigration.gov.ph/index.php

thanks john for your respond:but i would i like to ask,when the time you leave in the philippines before getting your 13A visa did you need to buy a two way plane ticket by the time when you came back here in the philippines?because as far as i know you cannot have your flight back here if you don’t have the two way plane ticket if your just coming here with a tourist visa!based of what you’ve experienced,can you please share some of the details about it?thanks…….

John – firstly an excellent set of instructions. Many thanks for the assistance.

I’m just starting the proceedure to change mine from a probationary to permament. However my situation is slightly different to most who’ved shared their experiences………

I’m an English expat currently living and working in mainland China (where I met my Pilipina wife). We were married in Puerto Princesa, Palawan in 2005. We have a family home in Puerto where for most of the time my wife lives with our daughter ( a dual British/Philippine citizen) and her Philippine son.
I manage to fly from China to ‘home’ roughly every 5 or 6 weeks for a 7 to 10 day visit. Sometimes my wife will come back to China with me, but most times she stays at home with our family.

I wanted to commence legal adoption proceedures for her son so that he could take my family name, but one of the primary requirements was Philippine residency, so around 18 months ago we started my application for a 13A visa. before this I had just entered on the standard 21 day tourist visa – no problem!
Now due to the VERY limited time I was able to stay, and the fact that I was a considerable distance from Manila, we decided to ’employ’ a fixer….well not exactly a fixer, actually a family friend who worked in the BI. we were actually quite content to give him a few thousand peso for his assistance.
Eventually my probationary visa was granted in June last year (while I was back in China) but NOBODY in immigration told me….so it remained unclaimed for almost 6 mothns. It was only a casual ‘what’s happening with my application’ text message which discovered this!
So I flew to Manila, met up with my wife and in January this year I had my passport stamped and left with my new ACR ID card (although both of them actually expire in June 2011).

My first BIG shock was the next time I flew home to Palawan from China in May this year. When I came to depart Philippines, after spending over 90 minutes in the passport queue at Manila airport (it’s now 20 minutes from my boarding time) I’m told I have to pay Php2880 ‘departure taxes’ (ECC, Head Tax, RP/SRC, express lane) and unceremonously dumped out of the line.
I’M NOW IN PANIC MODE. No pesos left, very few $ (planned to use ATM when I arrived), need to board my flight to Hong Kong in 20 minutes and then a connecting flight to LA and then to Phoenix for my firm’s annual international design meeting. I’m in a mess!

Nobody told me about this tax EVERY time I leave (which is about 8 times annually).
Eventually some kind person pointed me to the payment window. Firstly they would only accept Php, but I begged, pleaded, cried at them to take $. (no ATM machines in the airport either) After 10 minutes at the window they finally let me pay in just about every last US$ i had and I ‘escaped’.

A few questions…..
Do I have to keep the official receipts (a 15″ long computer printed monster of which only 2″ is actually used!!!!!!) and show then next time I enter?
Do I pay the full Php2880 every time or is it reduced?
As I’m also a resident of China (for which my wife and I are exempt from Travel Tax, can I also get exemtion form these ‘departure taxes’?

Due to my very short stays because of my work commitments I cannot wait for 3 or 4 weeks for approval from probationary to permament staus for my 13A visa. Apart from delaying the initial application, I’m hoping this won’t cause any serious problems with this application either? I have to leave the country and return later.

1. YES, YES, YES!!!! Keep ALL receipts. You don’t need to show them at entry, but you need them for probationary to permanent, and your annual report to immigration. (Since your probationary is expiring, you need to start NOW on the permanent… it takes some time)

2. Yes, you pay the additional departure tax when you are PR. The first exit per year is about 500P more. Subsequent exits are around 2,300. NOTE: This applies to Coach tickets. Business class and First pay a higher tax (I think it is around 3,200). Filipino citizens (unless OFW exempt) also pay an exit tax, but it is a different tax, and slightly less (You visit a counter unless you buy on PAL from the Philippines and a Filipino travel agent, where it is then included)

3. I don’t know about China. I have only visited there on business or tourist visas (not PR), and the taxes are included in the ticket. As to the Philippine taxes, You wouldn’t be subject if you enter on the passport with your Chinese PR (You enter as a tourist), but I would not enter except on your 13a… If immigration suspects a rat (and they MAY), you could lose your 13a, and that would impact the adoption.

4. You MUST inform the BI of travel at the process berginning, so that you may re-affirm or they schedule around it.

That Kurt guy was to much. I think his main problem is he could not get the U.S. goverment to tax the Philipine worker in the U.S.A. and turn the money over to him to build a better life for all the people in Davo by using his great skills and building an empire of factories for the local residents with other peoples earnings; oh yes, he would one day turn this empire over to the local workers. No wonder the U.S officials ignored him.

Oh John, I like that!! You have been so diplomatic with your replies all the way through. Nice to see you let one go !!

Great articles by the way and I see you work hard to help as many people as you can. Much appreciated. In my experience I have met more people like you than I have the ‘Kurts of this world’ but sadly people usually only talk of the ‘Kurts’. It’s how the wrong negative view passes. Such is life.

I need to collect some information about TRV. i have 13A VISA and ACR CARD too. but i need to go back to my country India for more than 6-8 months ( bcoz of my personal problems about my fathers health) alone and my visa renewal date is JAN 2012.

so what are the problems i have to face, or what is the best thing i can do to live in the Philippines in the future. after a year.
Suggest me the best thing i have to do.

thanks for your reply. We’ve just started my application from probationary to permament.
However I’ll be lucky if I’m in Philippines for more than 7 days in the next 3 months due to work committments but (as with my original application) BI was aware of this and although it took a long time we were able to work around it.

I’m not sure what you are referring to with regard to my China residency visa. When I entered RP in May I just showed the immigration my ACR card and they stamped my passport. I’m not expecting anything different the next time.

hi john! good job on this blog, very informative…no wonder it made a very long thread. i also suggest other couples to apply personally,its not a hassle to go immigration office specially in intramuros main branch, just be sure to come as early as they can, (just what we were doing to avoid heavy traffic, because we were coming from rodriguez, rizal,) if they arrived before the ofc accept applicants, no worries, they can sit and wait while getting theirselves some coffee at starbucks, :))… me and my husband will be there for our 3rd visit and we are looking forward to get everything settled before school semester begins,..good luck to all of us

good morning..hello..i’d already applied the 13A visa application for my japanese spouse yesterday..but after they checked and paid the fees were just given the # of the BI atty.and advised to call the # after 2weeks for our interview..did u also experienced this john?or after u applied at the bi u already informed to go back on 5th day for ur interview?
Thank you and looking forward for ur reply…

I am sorry but I will have to ask some questions.
Hi, I am also quite in the same situation as you. I am a Filipina and with Philippine citizen but married and currently living in Brazil (2 years) with residence Permit. I am wondering if what were the requirements for your Japanese spouse?

1. Marriage Certificate I know this needs to be translated first to English by a duly sworn translator then bring to the Local Ministry of Affairs in Brazil then to the Phil Embassy in Brazil for notarization/authentication but how many copies did they require you of this?

2. Birth Certificate for the Foreign spouse or the Filipino? (Because I called the BI office and they said its for both and then on the website it seems just for Filipino as proof of citizen and also how many copies)

3.And did they asked for Police certificate from Japan for foreign spouse? and how many copies did you submit?Do they also require for Philippine citizen who has been living outside the living for long time? or if for the Filipino, do I need to provide my NBI clearance?

4. I am applying for my Brazilian spouse. And also, did he has to do the bureau of quarantine medical clearance? if yes, Do you think we can do the bureau of quarantine first before going to the BI office so we can apply together along with the Bureau of quarantine stamp.

5. Can my husband and I avail the Balik Bayan Program although, I am not working in Brazil but jsut living? I am still a Philippine Citizen. How is the Balik Bayan Process? DO we need to show a document upon arrival at the airport like marriage certificate? Do we stay together in the same line of the foreign line or the filipino line? (Already sent message to the Embassy here however my message seems to be ignored. )

6. I believe all the other documents they require from the checklist except Birth, Marriage, and Police Certificate can all be obtained at the BI office, am I correct?

P.S I am asking for copies since we are living and Brazil and it might be hard to obtain the documents once we arrive in the Philippines and also whats worst is knowing knowing which document is for who, how much copies because it cost a lot to translate unnecessary documents and pay fees for the notarization/authentication plus mailing back and forth. Also, the police certificate here expires in 3 months and we will try to apply as soon as we arrive in PH.

* CORRECTION
P.S I am asking for copies since we are living in Brazil and it might be hard to obtain the documents once we arrive in the Philippines and also whats worst is not knowing which document is for who, how much copies because it cost a lot to translate unnecessary documents and pay fees for the notarization/authentication plus mailing back and forth. Also, the police certificate here expires in 3 months and we will try to apply as soon as we arrive in PH.

I am thinking if we can avail the Balik Bayan so my husband doesn’t need to apply for toursit visa when his 59 days finish. Hopefully, we can get the A13 in a month or two.

I also sent message to the Facebook page of BI since I have been calling no one answered except the first time and the second time that the office personnel have no idea what I am talking about. The information the person I talked to when I called is conflicting to the information I got from the facebook chat conversation.

thank you john for the brief reply:as of today i was called the BI atty.# for the possible hearing schedule but i was told to read the receipt that given to me when i applied the 13A visa with my spouse..then when i was checked the receipt it was written there but were n0t informed by the lady at information were just advised to call the atty.of BI.
it was written there that the hearing schedule will on sept.06,2011 @ 10am..as ive informed my husband about this he was shocked bcoz its too long to wait..i called the BI atty.to ask y it takes too long for the hearing.he told me that his n0t the one hu made the schedule but the manila BI dats y were given a barcode..but he can request an earlier interview thats what he told me..you john did u wait too long for that hearing?

for example if we wait the hearing date for the interview,specifically we will wait 4months before we can get there….after that our papers will be forwarded to manila immigration?and how many months we will wait again to be approved?

thank you john,help!need some answers about these…….waiting for your reply….

Aireen: Mine was 5 days…and on the receipt. I’m not certain why yours is taking so long. Aside from calling the BI or a privarte attorney, I’m not sure what to tell you. It is well beyond my experience.

good morning, thank you for the reply john……yesterday i also called the BI attorney to asked if we can possibly have the earlier interview he said that we can visit him at the BI this afternoon @3pm…i dont know if this is the interview or to request the earlier interview because he said that the hearing schedule needs to be requested…….
i will just let you know……thank you very much john!

Hi John,
I’m out of Philippines 80% of the time on business (earning my keep in China). My probationary 13a expires BEFORE I return (I’ll be about 14 days late arriving back). Can Philippine immigration refuse to grant me a permament ‘upgrade’ because of this?
I’m told they may only give me another 1 year probation. This is VERY worrying.

Another thing….if my ID/ACR card has already expired when I enter (valid until 10th june – I’m arriving around 24th), I guess they can’t charge me the Php2800 ‘departure tax’ when I leave!

Geoff: I’m in the middle of converting now, too… Since I go to Korea, I asked. They said that, if I give the BI notice, they can enter a “travel exception” into the file, but it must occur after the hearing. My hearing was scheduled in 3 business days, so not an inconvenience to me, but needs to be done in person at BI.

Problem is that you are arriving after expiration. Not really certain what to tell you… Could you buy an overnight flight back from China or get one day off? (Like return on Sunday, got to BI Monday AM, then back on Monday PM?)

If they renew probationary, then I guess that may be the best… Your situation is really out of my expertise.

Hi John,
Well we’ve told them about my situation already….in fact they knew this throughout my original application.
Buying a return ticket is really not possible. For me it involves a 5 hour drive to the airport, then all the check-in, the flight etc. etc and then the same again for the return…plus the hotel cost while in Manila. It’s a 20k peso cost because my wife will need to travel from Puerto as well.
At the moment I haven’t even got a date for any hearing…..and they don’t seem to appreciate that normal humans can’t just drop everything and arrive at 8am next day in Manila wearing a smile!!!!!!
I have to schedule my arrival WEEKS in advance unfortunately.

Hi John, i hold a permanent ACR I-card (13a status) for 10 years. I have stayed here ever since (leaving only for occasional annual short trips overseas). I am uncertain if you can help me on this one. I just realized that my card will expire on a date i will still be abroad for travel.

My questions are:

Will i be allowed to leave (as card is still valid on my departure date)? On my return, will i be denied entry (since card is already expired), or merely requires a fine to be paid at immigration?

Can i renew upon my return (even if a penalty will be imposed)? I read on a separate website that an Australian was threatened to re-apply anew (as a new applicant!) Is this possible?

Hello John, I am a Filipina with a Swedish bf soon getting Married when he gets back here on September here in Phil. and live for good. Just wanna know if after we get married and pass the requirements to the BI and apply for his 13A .. We where just wondering when his Visa expired while waiting the process will they let us pay for extension until the process is done? since he just want to stay here and not flew in some place and have visa again to stay here in Davao.

John, thanks so much for this blog. Many questions answered here. Thanks too for all the people that have replied and posted POSITIVE questions.

I am living in USA and would like to immigrate to the Philippines in February 2012 while my Filipina wife remains here in the States to watch over our kids. I have been calling and emailing the Philippine Consulate in NY for a week now. Always get voice mail, but no call back or email as of yet.

I have just a few questions if anyone has the time and experience to answer them. Thank you very much.

1) For the Police Clearance Certificate, do I need to get this from the FBI by submitting fingerprints? Or can I just use a background check from the Pennsylvania State Police? It’s no problem, I just can’t find any information about what exactly a Police Clearance Certificate is.

2) Will there be any problem with my visa if my wife is not accompanying me to the Philippines? She will accompany me to the Consulate in the US of course, just not on the trip to the Philippines.

4) Last, would you highly recommend applying from here in the States before going to Philippines, or would it be better in my case to go to Philippines as tourist then applying from Manila (please remember spouse will not accompany me to the Philippines).

Thanks so much, the consulate here is not responding and they are too far away to visit simply to ask a question that could be answered in 30 seconds if they would just pick up their phones or return their email. 🙂

I do understand this is the Filipino way (been there many times since we were married in Mindoro in 1991), so I’m not complaining, just saying…

1. The FBI can be done easily by mail, except the fingerprints. Go to the FBI web site and download the request form. It has been a while, but I think the cost was around $25…Plus about $15 for the fingerprinting. It took about 4 weeks using FEDEX. My understanding is that the State Police should be fine also.

2. If you get your Visa in the USA, there should be no problem travelling here without her (You have a visa in hand). To apply in the Philippines, you MUST have her with you physically. Note that even with receiving the visa in the USA, you will still need to visit the BI for your ACR once here.

3. Since she won’t be travelling with you, the Staterside visa is your option (Or coming as a tourist and extending or entering on a different type)

1. The FBI can be done easily by mail, except the fingerprints. Go to the FBI web site and download the request form. It has been a while, but I think the cost was around $25…Plus about $15 for the fingerprinting. It took about 4 weeks using FEDEX. My understanding is that the State Police should be fine also.

2. If you get your Visa in the USA, there should be no problem travelling here without her (You have a visa in hand). To apply in the Philippines, you MUST have her with you physically at BI. Note that even with receiving the visa in the USA, you will still need to visit the BI for your ACR once here.

3. Since she won’t be travelling with you, the Staterside visa is your option (Or coming as a tourist and extending or entering on a different type)

Would still appreciate feedback on earlier post, but also wanted to update my status and relay information in case anyone else is in same boat.

Got through to the consulate in NY. Guess the best time to call is right before they close. However wish my wife had been here to talk to the consular officer. I got a lot of “yes” and “ok” answers without any detailed explanations. Kind of made me wonder if I was communicating my questions well enough or if she was really listening to me at all…

She said I only need a police clearance from local or state police, and that FBI was not required. However a state police report is not a “fingerprint” kind of report. Know what I mean? Anyone else have experience with this?

She also said no problem with wife not accompanying me to Philippines right away, just so wife submits the petition for me it will be OK. Again this is according to the woman I spoke with, if anyone knows something different, please pass it along.

As of now I am planning on submitting my paperwork by mail (as per instructions of consular officer I talked to today) to the consulate in late August or early September. She said they would then notify me when I could come in for an interview.

Thanks for all the time you put into this outstanding thread to help all of us.

I will be marrying my Filipina fiancee in two months and buying a house with her name on the land. I wish to reside in the Phils as soon as I can and want to bring her here for a honey moon and help me sell my properties and move there. This might throw a red flag I am assuming to the VO and would like your input about how to handle this 6 month visit.
Should I go for the 13a and if so at which stage of the game? Or should I just try with the B2 or B1/B2 in order to mix honeymoon with packing up and coming here. She has not much of a bank account but I can sponsor with more than adequate statements.
What do you think is the best way to organize my applications in sequence and have the best chance of approval? I have a bank account with a US/Phil bank so the money was deposited here in the states for the home with a bit more for good measure.
Do I apply first with a 13a or apply with the B2 request? I appreciate your time and help you spend to enlighten us on all of these matter. Thank you.

She will need a US visa in order to come to the States…. And that may be difficult until you are married unless you marry in the US and she comes on a K1 (Fiancee) visa… That normally takes about a year to get, and is only appropriate really if she and you want to live there.

Also, forget “sponsor” to US immigration… Won’t happen. As a matter of fact, you aren’t even allowed on the premises during her interview… She’s “on her own” as far as that goes. Not trying to burst your bubble, but trying to make certain you are realistic.

Rebecca and I married in the Philippines. We had originally intended for her to visit the States with me before we were married… Wasn’t going to be approved. After marriage, we started the B1 tourist process… 3 months for an appointment. A friend at the Embassy advised that marrying, but intending to live overseas, raises a ton of red flags at INS… particularly for newlyweds. The problem is that they are really looking for evidence of marriages for convenience, and many people have tried circumventing the long K1 visa process by going the B1 route (I’m not saying this is your case, but rather that INS tends to think guilty until proven innocent… and proving innocent is not that easy to do). You really need to look at the US Embassy site in detail about the requirements and think about how you intend to prove that she intends to leave the US once admitted. After marriage, things like joint bank accounts, joint condo ownership, long-term leases or jobs, and land holdings. The difficulty is that the decision is 100% in the hands of the officer who conducts her interview… There is no appeal (other than re-applying) and they may simply be having a bad day.

Based on what you write above, since you are still in the States, my thought is that a K1 may be easiest in the short term. If you marry here, she most likely would be approved eventually as your spouse, but given the long wait times and difficulty for Filipinos to obtain B1, I would forget Honeymoon immediately afterwards unless she has substantial assets here (or she has previous / existing visas for Schengen, Canada, UK, or Australia… Those help in that they are “desirable” visas and she complied with their terms and returned to the Philippines).

Thanks John. I certainly can understand if we get denied. We will have been married in Phils already, have land and home there, family. I have no intention of living in the U.S. as I am selling my properties there but what I do need is for her to help me move as it is difficult alone and I don’t want a moving company messing with my vast amounts of personal stuff. Plus it’s kind of an agreement we made that she help as I am buying our home in her name. Of course the main reason is to tour because she wants to experience snow (God knows why) and Disney, etc… She has only been to Kuwait, Malaysia, Taiwan, Dubai and never broken the terms. We don’t want to get married in the U.S. and I want to retire in the Phils. Of course any bank accounts these days can be accessed online and moved from one country to another so I can see why that doesn’t matter much.

She has two brothers and a mother and niece and her brothers work as sugggarret bayans but don’t know how to get them to look at that fact. What if I have my 13a in process or have it completed by the interview date?

Is it best to wait a while, if so how long, which processes to do first, and the land is in her name and home in mine. What else can we do to make our ties stronger? She will not have a job there at the time. But we will be married. Thanks in advance. When will I be able to come into the interview? Not as married sponsor but as non married sponsor? We can wait for the marriage until after the interview if that would help. Or is it best to go with an altogether different strategy? Should she go alone?
Thanks in advance.

George: For 13a, you must be married first, so that is that issue resolved. You do not need to be her spouse on the house, but if you will be getting a mortgage, the bank may want that unless she can qualify on her own. As to your name on the house and hers on the land… Forget it. The house is tied to the land… Period. Many people try this and get a rude awakening.

As to travelling to the states on a B1, best I can tell you is to try. If she is denied, she can re-apply later.

What about leasing the land from her and either buying the house after I have a resident card or renting it? I heard that I can lease for up to 99 years.
(Don’t know of many 100 year old expats there after they arrived.)

What keeps my purchase or lease of anything from being taken away for any reason other than love and trust? My fiancee is highly trustworthy and honest and so is her family and friends, mind you but you still are safer to have an avenue out of any potential situation that might arise. I engaged more research and still am under the impression that I can own the house but not the land, not that I do not believe you, but pointing out that there might be a way around this with either leasing or some kind of legal agreement. Even through a third party.

The home and land will be paid for in full and marriage will be performed in the Phils. I can wait a few months I guess if needed or even a year but need to get back with her to help me move after selling my properties and see all the sites for one last time. Neither of us wish to be in the states for long. I also wonder if we are on tour and I wanted to take on one last year or two of working with a high paying job just to have extra splurge money for retirement, would this be difficult to do? I’d rather not have a K1 as the purpose is not to stay or immigrate. But there is no way to prove that to the VO at the appointment.

I am one of those who accept to do what is expected of me with the appropriate visa needed and won’t overstep the rules and regs. So if you or anyone else can add any knowledge for me I would certainly appreciate it graciously.

Both of our criminal history is as clean as from the day we were born. So even though that may not help there won’t be any flags aroused on that point.

I need help on this from all of you because of your past experiences. The official websites from both countries and various offices do not tell you things that I learned or can learn from this enlightening forum. God bless all and thanks.

Thanks Bob. It will work out one way or another. I will just be happy to finally be able to retire there. If I have to move myself it will just take another many more months. Just too much stuff to sell. I’ll keep trying until I reach my goals. Just did not want to be back in U.S. by myself for so long.

It’s been close to a year now since I found your site. I was wondering if you have a bullet point list of expectations for 13 (a) conversion to permanent status. If it is already addressed, please let me know, I skimmed through and just saw the fees associated. I’m not sure how early I can start, but want to “get it over with” so to say. I’m in Metro Manila (near Ortigas) and try to avoid weekday Intramuros travel at all cost.

I converted probationary to permanent in June. It was simple, but took three visits to Intramuros.

1. First visit: Rebecca needed to go with me again. It requires a letter similar to the first, but differing slightly.

Text HERE:

Sir:
May I respectfully request for the amendment to permanent a non-quota immigrant visa under Section 13, Paragraph A of the Philippine Immigration Act as amended, in favor of my foreign spouse, John Francis Miele, a United States national.
I am Rebecca Carrao Miele, a Philippine citizen. We were married in Abulug, Cagayan on October 8, 2008.
I am enclosing here a copy of the necessary documents to prove my above-cited information and that all documents submitted were legally obtained from the corresponding government agencies.

Letter is signed and notarized onsite. You fill out a new application, bring passport and your ACR. The process took about three hours. When submitted, they return your passport and tell you to look up the status on the BI web site for approval in two weeks (It took three actually… It appears that the website updates about 1 week behind). You pay the conversion fee at this time. Forget the amount, but around 4,000.

2nd visit: When your name appears on the site, you can come in and complete the process. They process 13a at Intramuros on Tuesdays and Fridays. Pay “double express” again, and they stamp your passport. Then, you go apply for a new ACR. $50 for the new ACR card, but you don’t need new photos / fingerprints. They give you a receipt for your ACR, with a phone number to call after 5 business days. When you call, they tell you if the ACR is ready. Total time for me: 3 hours.

3rd visit: less than 5 minutes to pick up new ACR.

So, total cost was around 6,000 pesos. Three trips, but the last was quick. Be careful that you start the conversion process no later than one month PRIOR to your probationary expiry, or there could be issues (Check the date on your ACR)

The letters that you refer to in both the initial application for probationary and the conversion to permanent. Do these letters have to be drawn up by a notary or can these be prepared at home. I read you point that they have to be signed in the presence of the notary.

You can draw them up yourself, and the notary is right inside the entrance at BI. OR, you could go to one of the vendors that are hanging around outside screaming “notary!” They charge about 300 per document, but they have the format and printers onsite (most are lawyers without firms plus their helpers)… Not necessary, but an option.

I have been flying in and out of Phillippines for about two years now. I have found a nice filipina and we are prepeparing to get married next month. I have a job which allow me to stay only three weeks & work for 6 weeks outside the country. I also plan to apply for a permanet Visa as soon as we are married.
My question is can I fly in and out while on permanent visa?. Do I have to pay income tax?. Note: my country is allowed to stay in the country 21 days with out visa,
Please advise
Tom

Tom: You can come and go as you please on a residence visa, however, keep in mind that with residence you will be subject to an exit tax every time you leave, in addition to the P750 that everybody pays.

Me and my fiancee are planning to get married this November 11. He will be staying here for 3 months. Departing ticket is on January. What visa should he get. Im afraid he will be sent back to Canada when they see his return ticket which is dated january 2012.
The options im thinking are the following , please correct me if im wrong.

1. Use 21 days visa free, and then go to BI pay extension fee for 59 days.
Will the immigration question him if his return ticket is not within 21 days? Can he just tell them that he wil go to BI to apply for extension? Im afraid they will deport him back to canada.

If the 59 days is approved, is it going to be total of 80days or 59 – 21 = 38 days extension given by BI.

2. Go to phil embassy in canada and apply for tourist visa.

The problem is phil embassy is far from where he lives.

3. Use 2 1 days visa free , then get married . After getting married go on honeymoon to nearby asian country and when we came back, apply a balikbayan visa for my husband.

Anne: I would just buy the ticket 59 days out… He can extend on arrival if he pays the fee at the immigration office by passport control before getting stamped. Problem with the ticket is that the airlines sometimes do not know this… They never stopped me with that explanation (over 200 times in and out on tourist), but he should be prepared to buy a cheap Air Asia or Jetstar one way to Singapore as a throwaway if they hassle him.

Not sure you can answer this ! I just realise that I have to produce my divorce papers to get married here,
My problem now is that I have been married on customary marriage which does not require papers & divorce was done some 13 years ago & I dont have any legal papers say I am divorce. Is there any other way I can obtain a legal paper to say I am single unmarried which can be accepeted in Philippines.
Will be glad if you can answer ,
Tom

Tom: I’m not certain what customary marriage is… Common law marriage? When I got married here, I needed a eligibility for marriage statement from the US Embassy. In order to get that, I needed to show both divorce papers, signed by the court (The marriage certificates were not required). If there are no papers saying you are divorced, are there papers saying you were married? Does your country require papers?

Really, outside of my knowledge… You may need to retain an attorney here.

Hi,john,..Getting 13a visa is not difficult enough to get as long as you have no problem with your papers that you can somehow prove the validity of your marriage.
I and my US citizen just got married a couple of month ago,June 8,2011 to be exact,..Since he came here May 27,2011 his passport was stamped to stay until June 25 only,and to avoid trouble we made a 21-days extension of his visa after a day after our wedding which was dated June 9,but since we dont have an NSO Marriage certificate paper yet at that time we paid again an extension for his visa..right after a month before his visa expires we made again another extension of my husband’s visa which is at this point it was a 59-days extension plus we applied an ACR-I card for him,too and his passport has to have until September 25…He has now an ACR-I Card,and finally lasT August 9,as we finally gathered all our papers and our Authenticated MARRIAGE Certificate paper from NSO,we moved to BI and apply for his 13A…I was honored being informed that we can apply his 13a visa in PEZA bldg,BI..we arrived there Aug.9,2011 at around 11am and we’re advised to go to main OFFICE at INTRAMUROS to be able to do the processing quicker and faster..Since we have had the Notarized petition already,we just immediately go the BI,Intramuros,and was being assisted by a public attorney to assess our papers and to validate our documents to be submitted as well.After a short conversation and validation we were advised to go to WINDOW 3 to for the Application fee..right after several minutes waiting the cashier,we have paid our obligation and got the schedule for the hearing to come back on August 12,2011 at exactly 10:am for the hearing.
The hearing day comes,and we waited just a couple of minutes to get our hearing schedule at Window 13,WE were given a specific Attorney’s office..After 5minutes hearing we’re through!I and my husband was advised to check at website of BI..www.immigration.com.ph
to check and wait till our names get posted from 3-4wks.
At this moment while typing this personal experience of ours about 13a application ,we’re still checking and waiting our name to get appear at the website..
Hope we will make it through this week or next week hopefully…One more thing,Patience is always needed to achieve and get something..the more you anticipate delays and hardships in obeying Philippine Law,the more you get denied.So,to KURT,i truly agree with John’s opinion that breaking the card or ACR-I Card is just like a childish acts…mmhhm,and he doesn’t even show some little respect to his wife’s Country…Will be posting more as soon as we have some latest informations regarding my husband’s 13a,which is hopefully by next week..Thank God,always..

A small but possibly useful bit of information for Davao people, you can apply for NSO documents in the SM City Mall, Davao City (2nd floor, round the corner from ACE Hardware is where I saw the notice).

This will no doubt save endless queuing at the NSO office for the necessary copies of spouse birth certificates and marriage certificates.

Also, my wife has just informed me that applications can also be made online.

Does anyone know if wife ko MUST be present when it’s time to go from temporary to permanent 13(a)? I’ll have a second petition from her, and my sister-in-law or parents could come as a proxy, but my wife will be out of country and would cost us a good bit for her to come back at that time just for the paperwork.

Is there any leeway at all with this? Also, must it be done at Manila only or maybe at the Calapan Office in Or. Mindoro instead?

I have a few questions that, hopefully, you can assist with. I have been married to a Filipina for 20+ years. She got her U.S. Citizenship just recently. When our kids, who are almost grown and on their own now, finally finish school, we plan to retire in the Philippines.

We plan to make several temp (under 21 days) visits prior to this to find a living location. Do you know what the requirements will be for me to get a 13g Visa ( I am assuming the 13g is what I will need)? Will the process be different since my wife ended up with US Citizenship now? Does she have to apply for dual citizenship prior to me applying for the 13g? From the looks of what was said here, it is much easier to complete the documents while we are in the Philippines, is that so? Should I begin working towards the 13 series visa here in the US, or should I wait until I get into the Philippines with her? I am assuming that a one way ticket on the trip to stay would raise some flags? Thanks for any help.

I received my 13(a) Visa and ACR-I Card effective 31 Mar 2011. I departed the PI on 14 May 2011. At the airport I paid 500 Peso (ASSESSMENT) Express Lane Fee. I was directed to the ACR Card Holder window for additional assement of which I was unaware of. No one at Philippine Immigration ever mentioned it. The lady said every ACR Card holder must pay it. She did say that the amount will be less next time.
ECC FEE 700.00
HEAD TAX 250.00 (DUE JAN/MARCH EACH YEAR FOR FORIGNERS)
RP/SRC FEE 1,400.00
LEGAL RESEARCH FEE 30.00
TOTAL 2,380.00

Just a couple of quick questions for you. I just want to make sure I am on the same page. So is the total cost for the 13A 1510.00? or is the extension not included in that? I already have the BB stamp and wanted to go ahead and apply for the 13A for work purposes. Do you know how often I have to renew the 13A and how much? Thanks for all the help.

Sean: I’m hesitant to get too detailed on fees now because the article was written a while ago and the fees change frequently. As noted above, there are fees when you apply, and then fees at implementation. Including getting my documents, ACR, and extension, I paid around P10,000 total by the time it was all said and done. The 13A issued is probationary for one year, and you convert to permanent after that time (so one “extension”…There is an article on here from about 6 months ago that I wrote on that process). After the visa is permanent, you only need to renew the ACR every 5 years and make your annual police report… no other action necessary.

will there be any legal snags if i try to obtain a residence visa with a felony on my record here in the states.. i was young and stupid when this occured and i have met what i hope to be my future wife in the philippines.. and i want to know if there will be any problems in getting approved

Brian: Honestly, I dont know. The visas require a police clearance. It probably would come down to how serious and how long ago. You could try and have your record expunged or something, but you really would want an attorney consultation. I have heard of people with very old or minor convictions being approved here, but I would not take that statement with any authority.

Hi John,
I’ll put this here since it really pertains to the probationary 13a visa. We took the bus from Baguio overnight and arrived at the Intramuros BI shortly before it opened on 1/5/12. Nice chance for us to get a cup of coffee or three at the nearby Jollibee first. Anyway, we were second in queue to get our papers checked (they were perfect), 1st in line for my picture (6 for P100) but only one of them was needed for the initial application. The folder was bought from the same person who took the pics. Then we were sent to the notary at the back. First in line again, no queue. After notarization, we went back to the initial checker. He attached a checklist to the paperwork and sent us to the 4th floor to see a lawyer/investigator and he *also* checked the paperwork and actually signed the checklist sheet to show that all paperwork was correct and complete. Then he sent us back to the 1st floor to window 15. The man there *scanned* my passport. He did not *take* it. I believe this differs from your account from last year. He then gave me my passport back with a printout of the charges. We then were told to go to window 13 to pay, *BUT* when we got the final receipt from her, we had to copy this receipt (the only thing we had to copy in the entire process and we had only one of everything), and return the original back to the guy at window 15. This final receipt shows our date of the interview (Tuesday the 10th). This completed the 1st day process and took 2 hours or less. Very simple! Another cup of coffee at the Starbucks across the street concluded our first visit to the BI. The 6 hour bus ride to Manila and 8 hour bus ride back home (due to traffic) were much harder (and cost nearly as much as the BI costs) LOL

Add P100 if you need a picture (we did), and more of course if one needs anything re-typed and re-certified (we didn’t).

The biggest difference I see is that your passport is no longer kept by the BI until your interview. It is now only scanned and given directly back to you.

For anyone traveling by taxi from the Victory Liner bus station or any of the other nearby bus companies in Pasay, it will be approximately P300 to the BI, one way, give or take a few pesos. Hope this helps update a little. I’ll relate the upcoming 2nd visit next week. ~~ Kevin

This is a recount of our second visit to the BI: the interview. Our interview was scheduled at 10:00 AM on 1/10/12. We were in front of the interviewer by 10:05 AM. A few simple questions, and then the interviewer asked me to write a short statement on how my wife and I met, when and where we were married and how (church, civil), if we had any children, and the names of my children from my previous marriage in the USA. Then I signed and dated the statement. I really get the feeling though that this procedure of interview may differ from interviewer to interviewer. Anyway, we were done with our interview by 10:30 and therefore done at the BI for the day. Finalization days are still Mondays and Fridays, and we were told to check the BI’s website in about three weeks. There were no fees or charges for this second visit, the interview.

Got news for you. I used RJAgency to get my preliminary 13a visa processed. Total cost 25,000 pesos and no interview and only 1 trip to Cebu. The savings in travel alone more than paid for the fee. The fee included all the immigration fees as well as the agency fees. Could not have been any easier. I spent no more than an hour at immigrations and they took care of everything while I was there. I highly recommend them.

My situation was just that. It is a day trip from Camiguin where I live to the airport in CDO than another day in Cebu. The return trip is the same with a total cost per trip of around $200 to $300 per trip depending on the flight, food and lodging. Do that 4 times plus once with my wife and that adds up to $1,000 to $1,500. Then add the immigration fees to that. Yes I realize that there are many con-artists out there but I spent 2 months doing my homework and research before I decided to use this agency. Their office is adjacent to the immigrations office too making it even easier. For those who live near an immigration office it might not be beneficial to use an agency other than it saves the hassle of making 4 trips instead of 1 plus the fact that I didn’t have the interview to deal with.

I used the same agency when I applied for 13a probationary…..I have nothing bad to say about this particular agency….Jenny is fast and very good at what she does. She came highly recommended, and for the guy that doesn’t want to do it himself or lives a ways away, I don’t think you could do better than her.

I decided to do the permanent myself because it’s a whole lot cheaper and I live about 25 mins from the BI.

Hi John
im having 13a visa i get at last year now in Feb its going to expired i just wanna know if we still have to pass to the same proses or its easy then 1st time and now i will have again one year or more and how much the fee for this time
thanks in advance GOD BLESS
Regards Ali

I read an article that states the in order to be approved for a perm status on a 13a you must have a document stating you have a minimum of a $10,000 in a Bank acct to prove that you can support your family. Is this true? What if I have a job here and is enough financially wise to support a family? Does this matter at all or without 10 grand in the bank I am denied?

Sean: Unfortunately, there is an awful lot of downright incorrect information floating around on the web… I can tell you that myself, Bob, and the other writers on this site at least try and verify the information that we post.

A mate of mine had to show the $10k,but that was because he hadn’t done a tax return in over a decade and couldn’t prove his income. The other question about minor criminal records, best to contact the Department of State and enquire as to whether your specific type of offense would be released to another government in such circumstances. They don’t necessarily tell everything. If there is no violence or serious fraud, larceny or drug dealing involved, it is likely they would give a clean score after a decade or so. Don’t dob yourself in unnecessarily, more than you would try to hide the truth if it were inevitably going to come out. My 2c!

In the pile of applications both ways I have done I just used my tax returns. I was never asked for a bank balance or pay slip. Seems like they figure if you have an ok relationship with the tax office you are probably ok.

Quick scenario. I live in Edmonton, Alberta. My wife and daughter (3 year old) are dual citizens (Canada and Philippines). For me to apply for my 13(a) in Canada, it’s a flight to Vancouver. Cost about $750-$1000 CDN all said and done for that trip, plus the processing fees ($172.50 CDN). Then I still have Quarantine and BI visits for ACR-I card.

We will be living in Quezon City. So, for me, I’m sensing (from your various posts) that it would likely be a LOT cheaper for me to just enter on my 1 year spousal BB visa (every time I’ve visited I’ve been given the 1 year visa) and then apply in person? Living in QC, I don’t have the same travel hassles, won’t need the police clearance/medical, etc? Am I missing something?

Hi Ryan – Not for certain that you will need to fly to Vancouver to apply. In my case, I lived in the Portland, OR area, and applied at the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco. I never went to the consulate, though. Papers were mailed to me, I completed them and returned them to the SFO Consulate. They interviewed me over the telephone. So, I never had to fly anywhere, took care of everything by mail and phone.

Thanks for the speedy reply Bob. The Philippine Consulate in Vancouver is notoriously difficult to get in touch with (they don’t answer the phone), so I’ll keep trying. A phone interview would be GREAT.

Quick question. I’m moving to Phils with my wife and daughter. They are both dual citizens, and will be traveling under Phils passport. I’ve never had trouble getting a BB 1 year visa before, but I have one question. Can I travel there with a one way ticket and avail of a BB visa, or do I need to have a throw away? My plan is basically land, then head right over to apply for my 13a.

Problem with that isn’t the Balik Bayan visa, if you are entitled to one they are very good about making sure you get it, the issue is departure TO the Philippines. Most countries will not look past the existing visa stautus of the passenger at time of departure. This means Canada, USA Aus, Sweden etc do not have a clue nor do they want to study the intricacies of Filipino Immigration Law. As a frequent flier, going into the Philippines without a pre-booked visa/ you better have a ticket or they very likely won’t let you fly. Out of my 16 trips half of which as a spouse in company, 15 I could not have taken off without a return or ticket out. This with my dual citizen kids with me wife with me/ meant Zip in Australia or Singapore or Hongkong.
I tried my luck once and never again, having to pay airport counter price 10 minutes before boarding closes, with babies and a Filipina wife…. (sigh…)

Plus no offense to Quezon City but who would want to move THERE from Canada?
Really have to be crazy. The Philippines has a million paradises and Q city is not one of them. Be the man, take the wife on a big trip and visit everyone in the family in the provinces.

Chris: I live in Quezon City because I need to be in Metro manila near an airport with many international flights. Not everyone is retired here, and most people in business eith need to live in Manila or travel here frequently.

Not a matter of being crazy or not being “a man”. (I always love it when people preface offensive comments with “no offence”…as if it cancels things out). I’m not moving to the Philippines to take advantage of my “paradise”. We are moving there to take care of family, who happen to live in QC (not the provinces).

Thanks for the info re tickets. Unless anyone has had other experiences to the contrary, I’ll look into buying a throw away to Hong Kong or something.

Ryan: Chris is right… It is the airline rather than BI that causes confusion with BB. He is also correct that if you are departing from a place with few connections to the RP, they are less likely to know. That said, you, in my opinion, should try, but if it makes you feel better, keep the one way throwaway for HKG or SIN.

The time I tried it cost me $320 cash for a throw away Tiger Clark/ Singapore, with no option other than miss the flight. Same ticket booked online was $70 at the time. Since then I just take a punt on when I will be ready to fly out, if I’m wrong, no big deal. I find Singapore way better as a hub than anywhere else in Asia. Easy for Australians, long way around for Americans. I remember you talking years ago John, about flying PAL a lot, which I guess you still do (being they are the only airline using Manila as a hub). NAIA is one of my least favorite places in the world. No offense to anyone working there, but the place is about 20% the size it needs to be.

Chris: Cheapest throwaway I know of right now is Tiger from Clark to HKG running around $50 online. Last night in Singapore I witnessed a very loud argument at Cebu Pacific while waiting to check in by a guy who didn’t have an outbound ticket printout. From all of the commotion he made, he’s lucky they didn’t really get technical and not accept his June return date.

For transit, my favorite airports are HKG, SIN, and AMS. MNL isn’t as bad as people make it out to be, though it isn’t great. The pay lounges ease the pain a bit. However, I usually fly out of Manila rather than transit.

My travel is mostly within Asia now, and I’ve been flying Cebu Pacific quite a bit… With me nonstop flights / schedule is the most important, and CEB and PAL have the most nonstops. Price is secondary. Even though my company doesn’t care too much, I won’t waste money just because it is company money… So I do shop around for the best fares within business constraints.

I’ll also say this… In the last year, CEB has done a 100% turnaround on service. No problems booking online, and leaving / arriving from terminal 3 is a breeze… Especially if you use their web check-in. In the last two months, I’ve flown:

CEB: to SIN, BKK, CGK

Tiger: HKG

China Air: TPE

KLM: NCE

PAL: HKG

I’m taking Cathay to HKG in 10 days. I used to fly them the most, but not so much recently since a transit in HKG to go to BKK is more hassle than just taking a nonstop from MNL.

If I get a 13A visa here in NY(Filipina wife, dual citizenship) do I need an out bound ticket when we move to the Philippines or can I just get a one way ticket and show the visa?(or is the visa sealed in an envelope that I give to the B.I. when I get there?)

Also,

If I have the 13A permanent visa from here in NY and I am living in the P.I., If I travel to Thailand or Vietnam, do I need a throw away outbound ticket to get back to the P.I. or will my visa/ACR card be enough??

Jeff: The visa will be stamped in your passport, so there should be no problem.

Once you get your visa, you can enter and leave as much as you want (Though keep in mind that once you are 13a, every departure from the RP subjects you to exit tax and Tieza tax in addition to the airport tax… about US$100 each time you leave)

am indonesian…..my situation is just the same like your problem,my question is should i get same just what you did after my 21 days finish and would like to extend for another 38 days…and more to come…thanks…coz am really confused bout it.

I notice on the guide for the 13a that it talks about “TOURIST (NON-RESTRICTED) ADMITTED INITIALLY FOR 21 DAYS MAY BE EXTENDED FOR ANOTHER 38 DAYS”. Is this just for people who don’t get in on a 1 year BB stamp?

Ryan: A BB stamp is not a visa… It is actually more of a “concession” given to your Filipino spouse to let you accompany them. That is why the call it “Balikbayan Privelege” rather than “visa”. If you enter as a tourist, or without your spouse, you are generally admitted under the tourist terms, unless you have arranged a different visa type before arrival.

Hello…how long does the Process take to obtaing the Sppousaes Immigrant Visa from the PI Consulate in the USA? Also, she will apply for her Dual Citizenship, how long would that take in addition?
Thank you…Bo

Con: The 13a entitles you to an AEP… It is a simple process to obtain one if you have a specific job offer, since you are resident. If you are directly employed from the US (NOT selling to Filipinos, paid directly from the US, report directly to US management, and the company doesn’t have fixed facilities here) then you would not need one.

Thank you for the information. I am married to a Filipina and have been living in the Bataan area for over a year. I have been just extending my tourist visa every two months so far. Could you please break down your total fee costs that were paid to immigration at the different stages of your process. I know you copied and pasted fee from the BI site but I am still confused. I have been told that it will cost me anywhere from 20k to 40k peso to obtain my 13A visa. I already have my Icard but I think I still have to pay the fee for a new one, just not really sure. My current tourist visa expires in May of 2012.

Not trying to step on John’s toes here, but I just have to say, Gary, the fees of 20 to 40k are outrageous. There is no such fee. Whoever told you that was either trying to make money off of you, or they did not know what they were talking about.

Gary: If you go to immigration in person, the fees should be as posted (Though they may have increased a bit since then). With the extension, ACR, and visa fees, I ended up paying in the neighborhood of P10,000 by the time it was all said and done.

John, thanks. Interview is done, now my name is on the list, I called the lawyer but he told me I got to wait for a letter of “approval” from BID (postal) … is that new now? Thought I can just go to Mla after my name is listed there? Any news abt that? Thanks.

Jake: Glad the interview went well. I’m not 100% certain… I didn’t need to wait for a postal letter. I THINK you can, but call the BI and ask. However, this is really outside of my experience since I didn’t need to wait (The rules may have changed since it was two years ago for me under a different administration).

Does somebody know what are the necessary documents for the renewals of our I-cards with quota visa. We will travel from Negros Island to Manila in August to renew our cards, and nobody can tell us what documents we need to take with us.

Our Immigration Office in Bacolod can’t give us clear advice. Their list of documents needed is designed for foreigners married to Filipinos/as.

My husband and I are both Europeans and we both have a Quota Visa. We don’t want to have to fly forth and back forth just because some documents might be missing. Thx in advance for any input.

Cathy:
I suggest that you go to BI in Cebu instead of Manila. The office is only about 10 min taxiride from Mactan airport. The staff there are after my experience always very helpful and accomodative. Bring all you have of documents and receipts (and some copies of each). I advice you to be there early, close to opening, as it tends to get crowded as day goes by. Opening hrs: 8am – 11:30am and 1pm – 4:30.

Just thought I would throw this out there. Wear pants! LOL. Not sure if this has always been the case, but BI does not allow anyone with shorts or flipflops. They rent out pants just outside the doors for around 70php, but I can’t vouch for the cleanliness!

Another thing, I found a few sample petition letters online. One thing they were missing was the following line:

“All documents submitted as requested were legally obtained from the corresponding government agencies.”

As of last week, they were denying petition letters unless they included this sentence.

indian passport holder, sir i am going to settle ther in Philippins and i want start business and marry filipina women, i want saty long ther what is the permanent solution and so what is the processor of visa and if i go as tourist can i apply 13a any budget want show for that marriage there which is best way what i do step by step

Great advice here that makes me feel better about getting the 13A visa, starting Wednesday. I live with my Filipina wife in Isabela Province in Northern Luzon. Long ride. Hope i survive it. I have unfortunately delayed my visa/her application for me because of small strokes I had (I am 71) before retiring out of Saudi (and strokes here also since BB status June 28, 2011. In addition, the BI promise to do all formalities but fingerprints in my home, but that seems to have fallen through and the local office in Isabela wants 20,000 pesos…or something. So all early attempts has led to nothing…and I feel like I might travel to Manila now…and I will try, hopefully by air. I will report on my progress/lack thereof upon my return. Again John Miele has performed a great service, along with my Brit friend Tom Henry (Tom Mewes) who published a book on living and surviving in the Philippines and does an only newsletter in Angeles. Their efforts give this American hope…
Curt Tuck

Going for the 13A visa Monday from faraway Isabela Province.
Will let you know how it works out, but thanks for all the inside info..Makes me feel like it can be done…hope it doesn’t take 4 trips… living 250 miles north of Manila…long travel.
Curt Tuck
P/S. I think my first attempt to post went into cyberspace unguided.

Curtis: Sorry you aren’t feeling well… I do have a suggestion. Since Cebu Pacific flies into Cauayan, perhaps book a hotel near BI (like Manila Hotel or something) and fly. That way you can be near BI and there early, minimizing any stress to your system. It sounds like BI is aware of the problem… It sounds like the fee they were asking MAY be because the BI attorney would need to come to the field office (I only say this because when we were completing our adoption, the social worker needed to come to Manila from the province… An expense that needed to be paid)

Back from Manila and BI and NSO.. success in all… Going for interview May 29 or June 1, depending on flight/airline tickets from Isabela province to Manila.
My advice is to follow John and Bob’s comments above…paying particular attention to the need for a yellow/gold color NSO stuff.. My wife had green from before and they refused it…took only 2 hours (3 to 5 p.m.) Wednesday to get it right, if you take 1 hour delivery/pickup. It was a breeze Thursday morning, thanks to John and Mindanao Bob.

Curt…a couple of suggestions (from someone who just recently went for interview):

1. Show up an hour or so before your interview. Go to the 4th floor (I believe it was 4th! LOL) where they hold the interviews. Head right at the top of the stairs (you will be looking at the IT department). The doors have the lawyers names on them. Your receipt that you have should have the name of the lawyer you are doing your interview with. Give your receipt to the clerk and advise them that you are early. Often they will put a bunch of people all in one time batch. The earlier you get your slip, the earlier in the queue you are for your interview! Interview was less than 5 minutes. “How did you meet” was the only question we were asked. Otherwise, the lawyer just flipped through the document package. In and out.

2. When I went, they would not allow call ins for status updates, but instead said to check out the website.

I recommend you use an automated service such as ChangeDetection.com. You can punch in the address and it will send you an email when the website changes. BI doesn’t update the website every week. HOwever, I recently found out that I was approved only 2 weeks after I went for my interview. How? Because I checked the website before the scheduled implementation date. The website you want to punch into the monitoring service is:

The hardest part of the process was climbing 4 flights of stairs after my stroke. The doctor said don’t do it… but i did, very slowly. The interviewer said to check the website after 3-4 weeks… and I will do that. May questions now are:

1. how much time do I have to complete the formalities of the third visit (after interview) and how much does it cost in fees for EVERYTHING after that? About 10,000?
I am unclear after looking at the website and reading the comments here…
confusing. I am here on BB now.

2. How much time after third visit (pay all fees for `13A and ACR-1?) do I have to pick up the card and pp with 13A visa?

My trips are costing me 20,000 pesos a month from Isabela, (air fare, hotels, cabs, food, etc.) so I like to make one in June and one in July, if possible.

Can anyone tell me.. or direct to something online that tells me the time restraints for the process?

John and Mindanao Bob’s stuff very helpful in this process…. Thanks again. John was right Cebu Pacific beats a 12 hour bus ride and all the road construction in the mountains.

BTW: my wife and I found the newly renovated Best Western Hotel la Corona in Ermita (on del Pilar) near the U.S. Embassy a great place to stay.. delux for 3,200 pesos a night with breakfast, and only 75 pesos tax to BI. 3 or 4 blocks to U.S. Embassy.

Curtis: The rates change, and it has been a while since I did mine… My guess is that it is within a few thousand of that, though. As to timing, I would contact BI directly and explain to them that you are coming all the way from Isabela… They were pretty understanding and helpful with me when I explained business travel needs to them. In fact, because of this, they moved up the date for me in order to receive my ACR (because of a trip). Best suggestion, check the site and call (It can take many tries to get through).

Thanks, John, for your timely reply.
Sounds good. I will follow up and take enough cash to cover all.
Learned I have two months from approval to complete the process, so I can plan accordingly. Cebu Pacific will be happy.
Thanks again for helping me negotiate these requirements/hurdles.

Hi john today was my hearing for Temporary resident visa i am pakistani national
they said i can apply for TRV cuz my country is ristrected country after 1 year of TRV i can extend for 2 years and its give me right to live,work and owen property i also checked on BI web page same thing is written there about this visa after a hearing they told me to check my status on BI web page on list of BOC application
hearing was just formal for 10 mins as you said now wat to expect next..?

Hi john today was my hearing for Temporary resident visa i am pakistani national
they said i can apply for TRV cuz my country is ristrected country after 1 year of TRV i can extend for 2 years and its give me right to live,work and owen property i also checked on BI web page same thing is written there about this visa after a hearing they told me to check my status on BI web page on list of BOC application
hearing was just formal for 10 mins as you said now wat to expect next..?

hi john. during the 30 days of waiting for your application to be approved, you mentioned that you had to go out of the country if i am not mistaken. Since the application is still on process, do u need some special permit from BI for you to be able to leave without complicating your application? a waiver or some sort? thabks a lot and looking forwArd to your reply the soonest. :)) we had our hearing on june 4th. we might leave on the 18th and be back the week after. i made a request for an earlier approval but until now, my husband’s name has not been posted on BI’s website. we’re planning to visit intramuros today to follow up on our request. if you could share what steps did you do before leaving the Philippines that time? again, thank you..

Claire: You need to let BI know, in person preferably, and bring proof, such as confirmed tickets / hotel / etc. They can make the arrangements. bYou may need to show a return ticket when returning to the Philippines.

Hi John and Bob,
Great information on your site, Bob informed me to check out this site regarding the 13a visa. John as Bob knows I am an Australian citizen and will be going to the Philippines in a couple of months time to marry my future asawa. Bob has helped me in the knowledge that upon arrival I will have an Australian Passport active for 10 years, I will need to attend the Australian Embassy to obtain a Certificate of Impediment with my future spouse, and then attend an Offical Office in her home town which is Ormoc City to obtain a Marriage Certificate. Do you think it is wise to pay and get an extension of my 21 days free visa visit to another 59 days whilst in Manila I am not sure where as I have never done this before? Bob has been really wonderful in helping me with my questions and as I am only new to this process it would be much appreciated if you could inform me of the correct process for my future wife and I. I am aware that you have to produce a divorce certificate if you were previously married in Australia which I have, and other identification records to help in this process. What is the best solution on entering as far as my personal position stands for me and my future wife? Sorry for all the questions John but at times it all seems to be very complicated but future wife states it is easy to do when you are over here. Also other than your divorce papers what other legal requirements will we need to be married over there? Take Care
Philip

When you enter the passport control queue at NAIA, the immigration office is right to the left as you enter the hall (If terminal 1… Terminal 3 it is to the right… I forget where in T2). BEFORE getting your passport stamped, politely ask in the office if you can have 59 days. They will charge you the extension fee, but stamp you in at that limit. If you think you may overstay, then be safe and extend on entry. If they refuse, you can always apply again at BI in town.

With my CENOMAR, I needed a copy of my divorce decree…Other docs, I think, were passport and birth certificate (She needed the same docs, too, on NSO security paper… Takes time, so she needs to do this in advance, too). With Church wedding, you will need interview from the Church, and possibly classes, depending on your ages.

Thank you John for your quick reply it would be wise for me to request the extra time, we are not sure if we will get married in the church or on the beach but what ever way it will be wonderful. The cost of the extra payment do we pay that in our money or there money for the extension to 59 days? Sorry to bother you again but after our marriage do we then apply for the 13 a visa in Manila?
Kind Regards
Philip

I am moving to the Philippines with my filipina wife in 2013, we are both currently living in the UK, until my wife is nationalised (make it easier to travel in the future e.t.c). From what I gather, if I get my 13a here in the UK before arriving in the Philippines, I avoid the 1 year probationary period, which allows me to open a business e.t.c. My question is should I get my 13a while I am here in the UK or when I arrive in the Philippines? Also IF I get it in the Philippines in the 1st probationary year, can I open a business? or do I have to wait until my second year? Everyone I have talked to just tell me to get it here in the UK as it might cost more but it is just less hassle in the long run. Thanks

Bilko: that used to be the case, but no longer. Whether applied for here or abroad, first year is still probationary. Unfortunately, it seems different consulates have different levels of hassle / documentary requirements. If you will be living near Manila, I recommend doing it here.

As to business, there is no requirement to be married in order to start a business here… However there are many regulations related to restricted businesses and % foreign ownership. You really need to visit he DTI web site and look into it.

Hi John/Bob – I’m not sure if this thread is still read or replied to (looks like the dates of comments are no longer here).

Could you please refer me to some kind of official statement or confirmation that the 13a issued in the US is probationary?

I visited the BI in Davao to finish my registration and paperwork for ACR-I, as part of completing my 13a that was issued in the US from the SF Consulate.

The head guy, the one doing the ACR-I card, stated that my 13a is not probationary. I questioned him that it clearly stated it expired in 1 year, but he said that was the entry period. That was confirmed by someone else working there, also.

No where on my visa does it say probationary. Just “Permanent Resident” under remarks. I would sure like for him to be correct, but at the same time wouldn’t want to go under that assumption and have him be wrong.

I’m wondering if this whole US issued being probationary as of a couple years ago is really someone’s misinterpretation of the entry expiration.

As I mentioned above my wife and I will be moving to the Philippines in 2013, not far off now, and I am wondering about what is the best approach to acquire my 13a visa is, If I was to apply for it here in the UK, I would have to fly up to London and waste a ton of cash staying in a hotel there, travel expense e.t.c Not to mention the higher cost of processing it here. The whole purpose for me to apply here in the UK was to avoid that 1 year probation, which does not apply anymore. Since that is no longer the case, I can just arrive in the Philippines on a Balikbayan visa, and then once I am there sort it out. The Balikbayan visa allows me to stay in the country without renewing or obtaining any other visa correct? As long as I obtain a visa before that one year to legally stay?

I just read somewhere that I can apply for and obtain my 13a directly in CEBU as I do not want to go to Manila. Is this true? If so where do I go in Cebu and if possible whats the address?

Pangga….you don’t need an AEP when you have a 13(a) probationary. It’s a little confusing on the DOL website, but if you refer to the exemption section you will see that those holding permanent, temporary or probationary residency visas are exempted from the requirement to obtain an AEP.

John…just wanted to relay my experience with BI and the 13(a) process. The entire process, for me, took two weeks (13a probationary). That was from the time we filed the application to the time we received the ACR card. Living in Manila made it easier, but a fair amount of persistence and follow calls made everything run quickly and efficiently. Also, for Pangga….if you check the DOL webe site you will find that an AEP is not required for “permanent or temporary” residents. So, an AEP is not required when you have a 13(a) probationary. You can also call DOL to verify, as I did.

Guy:
Regarding the AEP, the DTI web site states it is needed… One of the reasons that bureaucracy here can be confusing at times. My guess is to go with the DOLE and what they told you, since I think they would be the ones responsible for enforcement.

Interesting to note that in the two years since I went through the process and wrote this article, the time has shortened considerably. I’ve hear that BI is under some new procedures and has been eliminating some of the red tape. If it continues, this article may very well be soon out of date.

It was not mentioned that the spouse needed to accompany you on the first visit, since it was mentioned in bold for the second visit. So now reports are shes requried at both the first and second visit?
Thank you 🙂

John, I really appreciate the good information that I’ve obtained from your blog. I have a better idea of what is in store for me and my wife when I retire by the end of this year. I do have one question though. Would you suggest getting my 13A, well in advance of leaving the U.S., as the clock would start ticking as soon as I get clearence on my application? Or,,, would it be better to wait until about 1 month before departing?
Thank you, Larry O.

Thanks John for sharing your first hand experience in getting your TRV. I’m a Filipina (with both Iranian and Filipino passport) and currently living and working in Iran. My husband, who’s already retired, went to the Philippines few months ago to see the possibility of spending our retirement there. I wanted to petition for his TRV 13a, and already got the documents ready.He’s just waiting for me to be there in September but I can only get 20 days off work. I can be there for the first day for submission of the documents and the hearing (interview..i hope in 5 days max like yours). Can I go back even before they announce the result,considering the fact that I am the petitioner?

Just had my 13a officially implemented.. I wanted to thank you, John Miele, for the very informative article. It is actually what convinced me to get my 13a.

Just to update everyone on the procedure, It is pretty much EXACTLY as John described it. I also had to leave the country, and when I came back, I had to do a “re-validation” because of this it took an extra week, and a total of 6 visits to BI. They also lost my paperwork one time I went, which caused me to have to leave the country without my 13a. All in all I cant really complain about BI. One attorney really sweated me about my income and how I wasnt earning enough to support my family (BS). But the attorney I did end up with (Arellano) was very cool and helped a lot..
Thanks again…

I got all my paperwork together at the end of August 2012 for application for a 13(a) as I have been to the Philippines 4X since January 2012 starting for vacation reasons and now am trying to open a small business here. I met and married a Philippino native from Laguna in February and we are living together in Las Pinas currently, I am on my first Visa extension which expires Sept. 29th.
My problem is that I have no job here but about 2 million pesos in a southern based American Bank called Suntrust which should be sufficient to show financial solvency while I open a small business but acopy of an ATM receipt was rejected when I applied because it did noy have my name on it. My wife just starting working at a retail mall but will apparently have to wait awhile for an employment certificate or the equivalent of a paycheck stub. It is a bit of a catch 22 because I cannot open bank account here and get a certified bank statement of my available funds without a ACR or get a tax id until I actually open a business which I am reticent to do until i get my immigration status squared away. Would they accept a Bank Statment from a U.S. Bank which has my name on it ? BDO told me they are not affiliated with my bank. Or a ATM receipt accompanied by copies of my Debit Card (with my name on it) ? Any help will be appreciated…

Robert: In Manila, they took my US tax return as income verification. See if you can get an online printout from your bank in the States… I would also show credit card bills as proof of income (They may not take it, but worth a try)

Finally, SOME banks will open a US$ savings account without an ACR. Try Chinabank and Union Bank.

Thanks very much for the reply, one of those options should work and I still have some time on my first tourist Visa extension. I have discovered the spirit of this forum in my own wanderings – be patient, be honest and things will work out here. Maybe that’s one of the first important lessons you learn – that Americans and other foreigners may be too caught up in the “Rat Race” and will be happier if we learn to slow down, relax and enjoy the views and sounds and smells. They say if you win the rat race you are still a rat !

Hi John , Very kind of you for helping peoples to migrate to Pinas. I will be going to Phil. begin of December 2012 to visit my girl friend ‘s kids & family. We will also verify our investment( building house in progress and existing fish pond and also piggery. ) My girl friend had her divorce done here in Canada Ottawa and certificate of divorce Form 36B was given to her from Superior Court of Justice family court saying: I certify that the merriage of full legat names of spouses Josefina………… & Norberto………………. that was solemnized at the place of marriage ….. Isabela Philippines on date of merriage 24 april 1983 was dissolved by an order of this court made on 4 Sept.2008. The divorce took effect on (date 5 oct. 2008 )
Her ex-husband Norberto…. was asked to sign paper ( he did ) as an approval for that divorce.
My question is : On December i will have a regular 21 days visa ( arriving on Dec 8 and leaving on the 28) After that trip will it be better for me to apply for Balikbayan visa here in Ottawa after we get married. We would like to go Phils 6 months/year and come back here in Canada for other 6 months not to loose our Canadian privileges: health card and Quebec pension and summer in Canada not too bad also. Thanks John for taking time to read my message. God bless Maraming salamat.

hi!John thank you for your site I know this help me a lot bcoz we are moving to philippines next year .I’m filipino citizen and married to a chinese citizen .and my daughter had both passport too may ask you what requirements I must bring to the school ?anyway ,she is 4 year old.thank you!

Hello John,
I know you blog is intended to address 13a visa information but you do seem to touch on other subjects and I have need for some information that seems to be hard for me to get, regarding health insurance in the Philippines. I have found that Medicare is not recognized there at this time and won’t be for some time. Is it possible that you can stear me onto a lead for information regarding health insurance?
I’m applying for my 13a visa here in the U.S. and hope to finalize here soon. Will be travelling to PH in February.
Thank you for your blog and helpful info… Larry O.

Jim: With 13-a, your AEP essentially becomes a rubber stamp (You no longer need to get a work visa). However, the rules for business ownership and investment as determined by the DTI still apply. (So the 60/40 Filipino rules and the negative lists are still relevant)

Thank you John. I understand retail and gambling are the only two industries that the 60/40 rule can be waived. Is the definition of retail quite expansive? Does it include hospitality businesses like resorts?

Jim: For retail it requires USD 2.5 MM investment plus documented evidence of profitable operations elsewhere. Gambling is 100% on the negative list (0% foreign ownership). Resorts are under their own category, I believe.

If you are thinking manufacturing, there may be exceptions, especially in the free zones.

I’m dealing with this right now, and we are looking at some serious expenses… You REALLY need legal help unless you are talking small scale, outside the Philippines.

Good eve, may I ask if a health certificate, bank statement and other proofs of financial capacity are required. I read another blog saying that those are required. I am from Cebu and I dont want to go to Manila unprepared. Please help! I would appreciate it if you email back or reply to this post THANK YOU SIR!

While at the immigration office today I was informed that as of December 1, 2012 there are two new requirements for application for conversion to non-quota immigrant by marriage (Section13, paragraph A)

If the applicant has been in the Philippines for less than six (6) months, he shall attach to his application police clearance from his country of origin or residence duly authenticated by the Phil Embassy/Consulate at the place of issuance or nearest to it, with English translation, if written in another language.

If the applicant has been in the Philippines for more than six (6) months or more, he shall , in addition to the police clearance from his country of origin or residence prior to his arrival in the Philippines,attach to his application a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Clearance certificate.

I got an e-mail today from a fellow named Jim. Jim recently went through the 13(a) process and wanted to let everybody know about the new requirements that he experienced. Here is what Jim sent me:

April 1, 2013. Yes the new changes for getting a 13a shocked me too, as i arrived at Manila Office unprepared. I was going to go back home (2 hour bus ride), as i did not have my police clearance and was stopped at that point, when i decided to ask the officer if anything can be done if you do not have a police clearance. The officer said yes. Submit a letter to the commissioner and explain the date you can provide a police clearance by and basically continue on. In Manila office I went outside and paid 300 peso to have this letter done and i stated i would have the police clearance within 6 months, in order to give myself ampule time to get a police clearance. All the other new requirements I accomplished right from the BI legal department at no costs. Everything went fine and the BI scheduled me for step 2 (the interview) this week. The update, on your site of Feb 2013, is accurate and I did not use a fixer. Now they charge the entire costs on the 1st trip including ACR Card, just under 10,500 peso. You still need the 4 trips to Bureau Immigration. I just wanted to share my recent 13a experience on the last week of March 2013. I enjoy your site, live in the philippines. Sincerely, Jim

After 3 and a half years in the Phils ,and married for 3 years my wife and I decided to go for !13a visa instead of relying on the Balikbayan Visa,We read and re-read your helpful info,and although things have changed slightly its all gone quite well,You can now check on line if and when your application has been approved ,and I didnt have to supply a police check, One bit of advice I would give is to avoid if possible going early Monday mornng as they have the flag raising ceremony which means late opening ,long lines outside and mayhem once inside !
Thank you very much for all your help
Iain

I am about to apply for 13a from my country of residence. If 13a is issued from the Philippine embassy here, does it need to be “Activated” inside the Philippines by going to the Quarantine department or something? or is it activated as soon as I arrive at the airport? I won’t be having the ACR-I card what do I tell the officer ?

When you enter the country, you will give a sealed envelop to the customs people. They will direct you to visit the Bureau of Immigration and the Department of Quarantine to finalize your visa. The Immigration people already know that you will not have an ACR-I Card, they will not be surprised by that.

I was charged 50,000 php when I went to the Imigration Office in Boracay,,to get my 13Avisa. After one year probation they told me that I have to pay another 40,000…..does this sound correct to you? I look forward to hearing your reply,Thanks Maurice

John, thanks for the info on your site. Just want to update. On BI site, they dont mention anything about police and NBI clearance. But upon calling BI, they say they DO ask as additional requirements for Phil NBI clearance and POLICE CLEARANCE (from original place of residence, authenticated by embassy). NBI said, if foreigner, can only request clearance in main office in TAFT. We went to TAFT, loooooooong line. Hubby gave up. Will just do it back in spain. Only hassle is that in embassy, they do ask for medical exam. Hope this helps.

My 13 A visa expired on 2011 June and i am unable to be there and my 13 A Visa Expired. My wife back to Philippines on 2013 may. So what will be the status of my 13 A visa and what is the further process for me to do on 2014. Hope to see your reply soon.

Someone wrote about the procedure for lost or stolen card on here a while back. It is fairly complicated.

My response was because you indicated that you have been abroad since 2011. The BI makes the assumption that if you are out of the Philippines more than so many days per year (not sure how many, but 6 months sticks in my mind), then you are no longer a resident, but a tourist. That is why I suggested you reallyt need to contact the BI.

I have lived in the Philippines now for almost 3 years on a tourist visa and also have an ACR I-card, so people need to realise that you CAN get an ACR I Card at anytime you wish when you renew your tourist visa. Just tell them you would like to apply for the card, give them 2 passport size photos and pay the fee (around PHP 2000). The card will be processed ready for collection after around 2 weeks. Also, you do NOT need to go to Manila to do this. You can do it at a local immigration bureau. Marrying a Filipina just for visa purposes is a VERY risky business and I have many friends who have fallen foul of this. Much better to pay the extra and get a 13 visa (no marriage required).

Hi James – Thank you for sharing your information. Unfortunately, some of what you said is factually incorrect.

1. You cannot get an ACR I-Card “anytime you wish when you renew your visa.” You can get one on your SECOND visa renewal (59 days). If you are extending at 21 days you are not eligible for an I-Card.
2. When you stay in the country beyond 59 days, it’s not that you “can get one” but rather you are REQUIRED to get an I-Card at that time. You don’t have a choice if you want to remain legal.
3. There is no such thing as any “13 visa with no marriage required”. Any and all 13 series resident visas require that you are married to a Philippine Citizen (13a) or a Former Philippine Citizen (13g). Getting an I-Card is only an ID card, it is not a visa, and certainly nothing to do with a 13 series resident visa.

I’m sorry but you are wrong. I didn’t have to get an ACR I card but instead I chose to get one (a few days ago) as the time arose when I could have done with having one – opening a bank account. I have been here for the last 3 years and haven’t had one until a few days ago so I’m living proof that you DON’T have to have one nor are you made to have one. The people at immigration never made me get one each time I renewed nor did they ask me why I didn’t have one.
Furthermore, there is such a thing as a 13 visa without marriage as it is what all my foreign friends have and NONE of them are married to a Filipina! A 13a visa can be obtained if you are married to a Flipina but you can get a straight 13 (quota) visa without being married if you want – check it out. It simply requires some investment in the Phils and knowing the right attorney to do the paperwork for you.

OK, now I know what you are talking about. Yes, the 13 “Quota” Visa is not new, it is a long standing visa. No marriage is required. It is a QUOTA visa, meaning that only a limited number are issued per year. There are 50 per year “available” but they are never issued, generally. Basically, forget about it, you won’t get one.

Dude – all my mates have them and I am in the process of getting one. Yes you are right in what you are saying that there are 50 issued each year but you can be one of those 50 quite easily if you know the right people. I’m sure you know as well as I do that WHO YOU KNOW is everything here in the Philippines and you can buy whatever you want for the right price… I’m just saying that it is an option and I have around 10 ex-pat friends who all have one.

I think basically that all immigration offices do pretty much what they like here and each offer slightly differing policies depending on who you speak to. Fortunately, I have some good contacts so the ‘quota’ visa is an option but like you said it is not a readily available option to most.

Hi Bob,
this is slightly off topic, couldn’t find where else to put this question:
Having been one of the first ACRI card tourists (eligible for 13a but never applied), I wasn’t told what to do with the card when I last left. I have since seen online that I was supposed to surrender the card as I left the Philippines. Nobody at Immigration or the airport said a word about this.
Do you know what is likely to happen next time I need to extend a tourist visa or apply for a 13a (as I have misplaced this card/ which ran out over a year ago)?

Thank you so much John, your article was very helpful, I totally appreciate you sharing your experiences with us, you answered all the questions I had, which I believe I couldn’t get it from anywhere as clear as this. My husband and I are moving to the Philippines in few months, and we were wondering how to get all the process done, but thank to you we know what to do now. God speed

Thanx to the 2 wise men, John Miele and MindanoBob for the info u guys have provided on this site. I applied for my TRV and successfully went thru the interview today. It was quick, took about 10mins or so and my tentative implementation date for the visa will be October 4. Your info saved me lots of money since an agency was asking me for 80,000 php for what costs under 23,000 php. Thanx again guys, you are helping lot more people than u could have imagined 🙂

I can’t believe this question has not been asked yet, maybe I just missed it:
Can you apply for, and convert to a 13a directly from your Balikbayan privilege status?
Or do you need to first change your Balikbayan privilege to Temporary visitor/Tourist, and then apply for the 13a visa?

HI BOB I WILL BE GETTING MARRIED IN DEC 2014 .I HAVE VISITED PHILIPPINES 3 TIMES NOW .I HAVE BOUGHT A LOT AND BUILD A HOUSE THERE ITS IN HER NAME.IS IT EASY TO APPLY FOR B1 VISA IN PHILIPPINES OR EMBASSY OF PHILIPPINES IN BAHRAIN ,SINCE I GET ONLY 30 DAYS LEAVE.

Sir,
You have to update it isn t anymore like it was it changed al ot and i really don t complain but for me it tokes more then 3 months to get finally my 13 A prob so it isnt easy always like you say and changing adres is also around 2800 pesos and waiting not 7 days but 3 weeks just wanted to inform you
franky

Hi,
A lot of good information here. I won’t be getting married until I move to the Philippines, so I’m not sure what type of visa I need to get there. Do I get a tourist visa and apply for residency after we are married (which will be a few weeks after I arrive), or do I need an immigrant visa? I’ve read a lot of conflicting answers and I want to get this right so there won’t be problems later. My fiance is going to check with the immigration office in Davao where we’ll be living to try and find out the correct information but I thought I’d see what I can find out on here too. Thanks

Hi Dan – An immigrant visa is a 13a or 13g Visa. As you already said, you won’t qualify for that, because you won’t be getting married until after you are already here. Really, your only choice is to use the tourist visa when you enter, then after you marry, change to a resident/immigrant visa.

Thanks for the reply. I’ve been looking at the financial requirements for a tourist visa. $50 a day for the length of stay. If I apply for the resident/immigrant visa right after the marriage will that requirement be waived since I would be staying? Would my (then wife) wife’s finances be taken into consideration too, combined with my own?

Hello, this will help me get through. Really! Thank you so much, but I just want to know if until now this process is applicable? I want tp process my husbands 13A temporary resident visa once the documents are completed. Hopefully this first week of December 2013 is our plan. And last question: Am I allowed to submit the requirements without my husbands presence for the submission? Thank you. I hope you can answer my question well.

An update to John Miele’s excellent checklist that helped us a lot to prepare our documents without any visa agent.

We had two failed attempts in BI, Makati (went there since we had very good experience in using them for visa extension and all the horror stories about Intramuros!
1. Lacking police clearance (a rather new requirement that is not mentioned on the checklist!!) Took 3 months to get!
2a. Didn’t accept bank statements as only proof of financial capacity.
2b. Told us that once we file the application I can’t leave the country until it is approved!!! (I have to leave so we didn’t even try to convince them to accept my bank statements as proof of financial capacity.)

After advise we decided to be brave and try BI Intramuros and here is the story so far:

Btw, always bring your spouse and their passport, they can be needed to sign something or help clear misunderstandings (and it is nice to have company while waiting!).

First visit in BI, Intramuros, 27 January 2014:
===============================================

Arrived 07:30 (no traffic Ermita, Intramuros etc), no people inside

1. Information desk (U-turn to the left) to check the application. Will help you with missing info, copies etc etc.
2. Xerox copy service available near the Information desk. 2 php per copy
3. If anything needs to be notarized you have to leave BI. Once out turn left and walk a minute or two to find a notary (opens at 0800)
4. Sent to Window 17. After a quick check we were asked for some more N/A in a few fields and a missing postal code. Bank statements accepted as only proof! and no problem leaving the country!
5. Sit down and wait for the application to be checked and filed. At 10.00 we were asked to pay at Window 21 (10885 PHP in total), photo copy the official receipts and come back to Window 17.
6. On the receipt we were given two alternative dates for the hearing and fingerprint. No booking needed so if you miss the first one you have another chance. We got 30 January and 4 February. Hearing at 0900 on fourth floor and fingerprint at 1000. The receipt also stated that the tentative implementation date for the visa is 11 March 2014.
7. All done for first visit. Leave BI at 10:15!

A very good day indeed! Very smooth process and very friendly and helpful staff so I don’t understand why so many people are complaining about BI…

1. [ ] Request Letter from the petitioner with a statement that all documents submitted were legally obtained from the corresponding government agencies;
2. [ ] Duly accomplished and notarized Consolidated General Application Form (BI Form No. RADJR- 2012-01);
3. [ ] Original copy of NSO issued Birth Certificate of the Filipino spouse;
4. [ ] Original copy of NSO issued Marriage Contract or if the marriage was solemnized abroad, the Original copy of the Marriage Contract authenticated by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate in or nearest the place where the marriage was solemnized, with English translation if written in other foreign language;
5. [ ] Photocopy of applicant’s Passport (biodata page, admission and authorized stay of at least twenty (20) days from the date of filing);
6. [ ] Original copy of Bureau of Immigration (BI) Clearance Certificate.
7. [ ] Joint Affidavit of applicant and petitioner attesting to the authenticity and genuineness of all documents submitted in support of the application;
8. [ ] Proofs of financial capacity of applicant and/or petitioner during their permanent residence in the Philippines.

COMMENTS:
2. Two copies are needed! One for visa conversion and one for ACR I-card application.
3. Also include photo copy of spouse’s passport after birth certificate
5. Two copies are needed! One for visa conversion and one for ACR I-card application.
6. Doesn’t seem to exist. Don’t bother!
7. Written by the notary when your documents are notarized.
8. Bank statements seem to be fine.

VERY IMPORTANT!
The checklist doesn’t mention that you also need a police clearance from your former home country!
It needs to be notarized by a Notarius Publicus in your home country, authenticated by the Department of Foreign Affairs in your home country and finally authenticated again at the Philippine embassy in your home country! You must submit the original in the application. (This single document delayed my application with 3 months!)
If you have stayed in the Philippines for more than 6 months you also need a NBI clearance (see http://www.nbiclearance.com/)

Right hand side (in the top paper clip)
1. BI checklist (the one in the application form RADJR-2012-01)
2. Request letter from spouse (NOTARIZED)
3. Consolidated General Application Form, RADJR-2012-01 (NOTARIZED)
4. Original copy of NSO issued Birth Certificate of the Filipino spouse;
5. Photocopy of Filipino spouse’s Passport (biodata page)
6. Original copy of NSO issued Marriage Contract
7. Photocopy of applicant’s Passport (biodata page, admission and authorized stay of at least twenty (20) days from the date of filing);
8. Joint Affidavit of applicant and petitioner (WRITTEN AND NOTARIZED BY NOTARIUS PUBLICUS)
9. Proofs of financial capacity (AUTHENTICATED BY THE BANK)
10. Police clearance (NOTARIZED AND AUTHENTICATED IN HOME COUNTRY (see above))
11. NBI Clearance (I didn’t need this so I have no more info…)

Request for Change of Status from Temporary Visitor to Non-Quota Immigrant by Marriage, The Philippine Immigration Act of 1940, Section 13(a)

Dear Sir/Madam:

I am a natural born Filipino citizen. I am legally married to —MY NAME—, a citizen of —MY HOME COUNTRY—. We were married on —MARRIAGE DATE— in —TOWN—, Philippines.

Since the marriage —MY NAME— and I have been married we have been residing together in —OUR ADDRESS— The status of his stay in the Philippines is still that of temporary visitor. I wish his status be changed to that of non-quota immigrant.

Included with this letter are the currently prescribed documents required by the Bureau of Immigration. All documents submitted were legally obtained from the corresponding government agencies.

In view of the foregoing and on the basis of his valid marriage to me I respectfully request that —MY NAME— will be granted a Non-Quota Immigrant visa by marriage under Section13(a).

Second visit in BI, Intramuros, 30 January 2014:
===============================================
Arrived 08:05 and were directed to 4th floor for the interview. We asked for the office of our interviewer and after finding the it we then sat down to wait until our scheduled appointment at 09:00. Mistake! Show your receipt to the secretary immediately when you arrive so that they know you are there and will put you in line. When we came back at 08:55 there was a lot of people before us so we had to wait an extra half hour.

The actual interview took 5 minutes and the interviewer didn’t really ask anything of real value so I guess they just want both husband and wife to show up!

We were then given the documents for the ACR (left side in the folder) and sent to ground floor for fingerprinting (not 2nd floor as stated on our receipt). First window 43 to give them the application and have electronic fingerprints and photo taken. Straight forward.

After that we were sent to the manual fingerprinting and then I got a bit confused! You will need a beige fingerprint card where you will have to fill in personal details but you also need two more 2×2 pictures for this form! And you need to take photocopies of your ACR application and passport data. We lost quite some time by having to leave the queue to get pictures taken and get the photocopies and then queue again so I suggest everyone to bring extra pictures and go straight to the fingerprint officer (bypass the queue) to ask for the form and instructions.

No costs at all and despite the confusion with the fingerprints we were able to leave before 11am so it wasn’t too bad!

My visa is implemented around 11 March but since I am not here then I will have to “revalidate” when I come back in mid April. Note: if you don’t pick up or revalidate your visa within 3 months it will be canceled and you have to make a complete application again! (No refunds!)

CHECKLIST OF DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS FOR REVALIDATION
Please read carefully the above-stated General Instructions before proceeding with the completion of the documentary requirements.
1. Letter request addressed to the Commissioner, stating the reason why subject-applicant left the country prior to or after the approval of his/her visa, with no derogatory stamp from the Certification and Clearance Section (CCS);
2. Affidavit of Explanation, if the applicant failed to file the request for revalidation within 15 days from latest arrival;
3. Photocopy of supporting documents to substantiate the reason for leaving the country prior to or after the approval of the applicant’s visa; and
4. Photocopy of the applicant’s passport bio-page, latest departure and arrival stamps.

I plan to write a very simple “Letter to the Commissioner” explaining that I was working abroad. I will then go to BI, Intramuros early morning bringing a legal folder (the way they seem to want it) with the notarized letter, a notarized copy of my employment contract and copies of my passport. The information desk at BI has been very helpful so I hope we can sort any outstanding issues right there and then. If not I have the whole day to sort out what they need and go there the next morning again.

Just being at Intramuros between 7 and 8pm makes it so much easier, after 11 it is a nightmare…

This blog post is a God send to us! Thank you, John, for taking the time to document your experience and to all who commented here with “tweaks” to the process. I am preparing to go in with my husband (Philippine Citizen) to pursue my ACR and would have made so many small (yet time consuming) errors if not for this page.
Again, thank you SO very much!
I LOVE this country . . . I do NOT love the paperwork 🙂

I’m interested to know more about the details of leaving the Philippines on a trip when on a 13a visa.
I’m sure you have done this several times by now for business trips.
You mentioned a 2,160 travel tax in a comment reply, but I thought travel tax is only 1,620? Does the 2,160 include travel tax and re-entry permit? What else is there to pay other than terminal fee? Would you mind posting the total costs and breakdown of fees to take a trip out of Philippines (not including airfare) on a 13a visa?

Would you also tell me if there is anything that needs to be done at immigration before leaving the country or can you just buy your tickets and go directly to the airport (with ACR card and passport) and pay everything there?

I have a 13a but have not tried to leave yet. We want to take a vacation soon so hoping to get some insight from you. Thank you.

With 13A, your ACR is your exit clearance. There are three taxes paid when you leave from NAIA:

1. The P550 everybody pays as airport tax (They give you the little pink or green receipt… Note that this is included in your ticket now on DOMESTIC flights but you still pay at the window on INTERNATIONAL flights.)

2. The P1,620 TIEZA Tax. Whether this is included as part of your ticket depends on the airline. Cebu Pacific NEVER includes it, PAL gives you a choice to pay with your ticket if you buy online. Most of the international carriers from Terminal 1 include it. If you buy from a travel agent, they include it when they see a Philippine address, usually.

3. The P2,160 (P2,880 the FIRST departure of the year) exit tax. (13A requires it).

What you do:

If you need to pay TIEZA (if not part of your ticket), go to that window first at the airport before checking in and pay there, kereping the receipt.

Check In (They will want to see TIEZA receipt)

Pay the airport tax

Then, at passport control, go to the queue that says “ACR” cards (Immigration Cashier)… You give them your passport, ACR, boarding pass). Pay the tax. They issue a receipt and direct you to the diplomat queue at passport control. They stamp you out and give you back the exit tax receipt.

You have an attention for detail which is much appreciated, thank you. Your reply is very clear. So there is no “re-entry” permit/fee? Or that so-called “re-entry” permit/fee is considered part of the 2,160 (or 2,880 if first departure of the year)?

Would you also be willing to give a walk-thru for the return flight back to Philippines? For example, do I line up on the foreigners or Filipinos line at immigration when coming back in to the Philippines after my trip? And do they stamp you again, or do they just look at your passport and wave you in? Do you show your ACR card when coming back in?

When returning, the 13A means you do not need a ticket out. When checking in with the airline, just hand them your ACR with passport and if they question you, just state “permanent resident”. Most Asian Airlines know this, but if you are connecting with an airline that doesn’t fly here, there may be a little confusion. As said, agents in Asia already know what the card looks like.

Coming back, just stand in the foreigners queue and give them your ACR with your passport… They will stamp you in like normal, but they write 13A instead of departure date

I have a problem! I’v lived in the Philippines for 4 yrs. Originally I had a PRA retiree visa. Unfortunately I needed the investment cash, so I converted to a temporary visitor visa, intending to apply for a 13a visa. I extended my temporary visitor’s a couple or times. To cut a long story short, time went by, and with some problems I had, I overlooked everything, and am now overstayed since August 2013. I now want to apply for a 13a! Any comments about my predicament?

It’s just sinking in Bob! Having to leave the country is the last thing I need right now! However, if I have to, is there a minimum time I must spend out? I’m just wondering if I could go to Hong Kong just for a day, bring my wife, and get a balikbayan visa on return? Or is that just wishful thinking! How long will they give me before I have to leave?

Thanks for this post and to all who commented with updates and their own experience. Y’all are godsent.

My fiance is (finally!) coming here in PI by July/August. We plan to get married as soon as possible.

I have asked him to bring the following documents – please advise if he needs to bring additional docs?
1. Birth Certificate
2. baptismal Certificate (Never know when this might be needed, but good to have since i’m Catholic by papers)
3. Police (or FBI?) Clearance.

The above documents seem to be enough for us to obtain a marriage license (I have no plans of a big wedding – i believe in practicality). However, the question about the 13a visa documents are a bit problematic.

It says that he is required to show bank statement to prove financial capacity – he doesn’t have that. I make more money than him so we decided that he should just come over here and live with me. (He will, of course, work here, but that’s after all the visa and the alien employment permit or whatever’s required for him to work here is/are obtained) Can i show them my Income tax return form instead? Alas, I am not liquid in terms of assets as most of the money stashed away are in the form of VULs and Mutual Funds. Can i just show them my VUL & MF docs? Will we have problems in getting his 13a?

Also, when he flies over here – aside from his one way ticket – will it be better for him to get another ticket exiting from PI to, say, Singapore? If yes, after how many days from his arrival should the exit ticket be? I’ve read US Citizens are allowed 30 days to be in PI without a visa – so he needs to exit on his 29th day?

I am an Austrian married to a Filipino since last year June.
Currently staying in the Philippines on a Tourism Visa and I want to require a 13a Permit.
Since I am here in the Phils, I cancelled out my Bank Account in Austria, which means, I do not have any bank statement to show prove on my financial capacity. My savings are on hand and not in an account.
Is it okay if I transfer it to my husbands bank account?
And how much money needs to be shown on it? Or how many months back does it need to be?
I hope I do not sound too stupid with these questions but the immigration is not replying to my mail for over 1 month and my next visa extention is july 24.

hey john i have a question. i read your website and post about 13 visa. i am so lucky and in love with my fiance in the philippines. i am awaiting to head there for the first time in a few months. we are going to marry there and than get the 13 visa. i know its not the hardest thing to do but im sad because i am so confused on the process of doing everything in order. starting with me booking my flight from chicago to the philippines. what is the order of doing things to get this done right so i dont have to leave and my beautiful wife behind. so from right now what would the order be from before i leave to the affidavit in manilla to marry to marriage to than the 13 visa. im also lost on all documents i need for the 13 visa. i know the affidavit is just passport, 50USD, divorce decree. than after we get that i am so lost on the rest. just imagining having to leave without her breaks my heart. i dont know how much all this will be not including flight. i am hearing about 600-1000USD. i would appreciate the info so me and my gift from god will be happy forever. thank you.

Your question is confusing me a bit. It sounds like you want to come to the Philippines, get married, and bring her back to the USA right away. That is highly unlikely to happen. If this is what you are wanting to do, you need to petition her to US immigration for a K1 visa (takes about a year), she comes to the USA, and you then marry there.

If you are coming to the Philippines to stay:

For 13a, you need to already be married. Since you will be married in the Philippines, you cannot get the visa before you leave. I suggest you enter on a tourist visa and deal with the marriage first. After being married, figure at least six months for the NSO to process the documents. Extend your tourist visa and make visa runs as needed. If this is what you will be doing, then you need to get your FBI clearance in the States, divorce decree, birth certificate, and so on (I mentioned this all in the article) before you leave since that stuff is difficult to acquire once you are in the Philippines. Then you apply for 13a here after the marriage is registered by the NSO just as detailed in the article.

John,
Do you know any information about applying for a 13A Visa from the US? Do to family issues my wife may need to move back to the Philippines and I would like to accompany her and find work as it may be long term.
James

Yes, you can apply for a 13A visa in the US. The process is virtually the same as if you apply here in the Philippines. One exception, which is good for you is that the visa issued in the US is not probational and does not need to be re-done after one year. It is permanent from the day it is issued.

You should contact the Philippine Embassy or Consulate that serves the area where you live in the USA. Request an application for a 13A visa. They will mail it to you and then they will be the people to process your visa, interview you, etc.

If you are interested in living in the Philippines, but you need a source of income, getting a job here is generally not the way to go. Firstly, most companies are not looking to hire foreigners. Secondly, you probably won’t want to work for the kind of wages offered here, usually only a few dollars per day.

To help out people like you, I have written a book called “49 Ways to earn a living in the Philippines” and I cover ideas of all sorts on how you can earn a good living while living in the Philippines. I have been earning my living here since 2000, and I earn more money now than when I lived in the States. So, I know that I can help you do that too!

As a special offer to you, I am going to offer you $10 off the book, but the offer is good for only the next 24 hours. During checkout, just enter the coupon code – 10discountToday – and the book will be $10 off the regular price. But, remember, the discount expires after 24 hours.

Check it out today, I am sure that this is what you are looking for, if you want to live in the Philippines!

That is great to know about the 13A being permanent when applying at a Consulate in the USA. I just applied for mine yesterday. The cost was $150 plus a $20 express mail charge. If I include the police check fee and notary fee and copy fees, the total is around $200. The Consul never mentioned anything about an ACR Card, or the 1620 peso travel tax. He just said they will mail me the passport back with the 13A visa in about 5 days. Can you please tell me what else I need to do such as is a ACR card necessary if I applied for the 13a visa in the USA? You said it is permanent since I applied from the USA. Are there any other fees/issues? Thanks!!!

Hi John,
We will be going into Intramuros to amend my probationary 13a to a permanent 13a soon, do you have a sample of the “Joint affidavit of continuous cohabitation of applicant and the petitioning spouse”? We have no idea how to write that one? You can drop me an email if you prefer.
Thank you, Edward

there is a notary behind BDO near Bureau of immigration,.. they also give a sample letter but cost 300 pesos including the notarized.. But if you only notarized the letter it will only cost 100 pesos..
What we did was, we payed 300 pesos for the printed joint letter already notarized..
Just be sure to check the spellings before paying..

Hi Rose, in the spirit of solidarity among 13a seekers, would you be willing to post the sample letter and save us 200p and the hassle of dealing with Intramuros notaries? We are trying to get everything notarized close to home before we travel there. Or maybe send to my email? [email protected]. If not, thanks anyway.

Hi, just posting again as a long shot, hoping someone could post a link to a sample “Joint affidavit of continuous cohabitation of applicant and the petitioning spouse” or possibly send a sample of this required document to my email: [email protected]
This is for amendment of Probationary 13a to Permanent 13a, my wife and I are old folks already and I am not in great health, it would be much easier for us to get all the requirements finished at our regular notary close to home rather than parading around Intramuros and dealing with the street notaries.
Thank you, keeping my fingers crossed.

Hi all,
I just went through the first stage, and thought I would post my experience.
#1 I prepared paperworks, but could not find a sample “joint” letter.
#2 I turned up at Intramuros at around 12:00 midday…crowded, chaotic..like most Philippines government institutions run on a shoestring..

I had a “helpful” official lady near the front door, organise my documents for me, asked us to go grab some photo copies (still 5php each..) and some manila folders from the canteen..not a hassle..very quick and easy..around 30 minutes after arrival I had 2 x neatly arranged folders with the necessary documentation in order (Essentially 2 x forms filled out (yes..2…), with 1 x 2″x2″ photo on each..copies of both my wifes and my passports bio page and latest entry (Mine with balikbayan Visa stamp for 12 months on it!) – my police clearance from Australia original, copies of her birthcertificate, and our marriage certificate..

#3 Went to the first counter, who “checked” the first ladies work..no dramas apart from the fact I had “blanks” to some questions…you need to write NA on anything you dont know / cant answer..EG (BI number I dont have, or ACR info I dont have )

#4 Went to the next counter – who checked the 2nd counters work lol…and gave a form with a process flow for them to add into..put onto the front of the documents…then requested we attend a room on the 4th floor for an assessment..

#5 went to the room on the 4th floor, the “lawyer” who was meant to be there, must have been attending Burgos street or something..not in evidence, and a huge line of people that had been waiting for him for 2-3 hours…Myself being somewhat impatient, simply asked at a few other doors on the 4th floor (Looks like its full of lawyers who do the same job on a rotating shift or similar)..saw a lovely gent inside of 10 minutes! He was friendly, and helpful…and noted a few faults in my documents that none of the previous 3-4 counters had picked up…Basically the documents must be in the manila folder in the EXACT order they are listed on the “checklist for the main BI form” Also, as stated my letter of invitation was an issue – I had simply made a letter which had my wife inviting me to the philippines to live..this is incorrect…so the kindly attorney on level 4 directed me to a simple way to fix it.. (AKA next step!)

#6 I left the attorneys office and went to the BACK of the BDO bank beside the intramuros Immigration building. – Whilst this appears dodgy, what you will find is a line of around 10 x attorneys sitting in a jumbled mess behind the building, a quick 300php later, I had 2 x fully endorsed, correctly worded “JOINT” invitation letters, duly notorised and given back to me!

#7 inside of 15 minutes I was back on level 4.. (Yes that quick!) and handed the documents to the attorney, who helped correct the order of the paperwork..and verified everything looked good now..if only I had of known about the easy way to get the “joint invitation letter” previously!! MUCH easier than spending countless hours trying to find out what wording they really wanted!..and 300php won’t break the bank for anyone moving here..if it does..DONT MOVE HERE lol..

#8 Back downstairs to the same window that sent me upstairs…hand the doco across, along with my passport..

#9 Waiting around 30 minutes, I then get called to the next window (Beside the one I handed my doco into..) a bit of confusion on this as no ticket is really given, and no indication on how long you will wait etc..just keep watching the glass windows, and try and see when your “number” (hand scrawled onto a small piece of paper given in step 4…) comes up…not too bad, just a bit confusing for a westerner!

#11 Next – you need to go and photo copy those receipts..I suggest 2 x copies of each..
#12 Head back to the window that gave you the invoices in the first place – hand them the receipts, PLUS the photo copies…they will keep 1 x original and 1 x photocopy…and hand you 1 x duplicate original, and 1 x photo copy (Thats why I said 2 x copies..I guess this receipt will fade quickly..the photocopy should last!)

On this receipt you will find your hearing date, and person who is giving the hearing (Level 4 attorney..one of the many!) – Mine had 2 x dates to choose from..(I did the above on a wednesday, my dates for the hearing are the following Monday at 10:00am (5 days), or the following Thursday (8 days later) at 10:00am…

Overall a little confusing and chaotic…but a heap heap heap easier than getting my spouse an Australian visa, and a HEAP cheaper…(Around $10k australian to bring her and the 2 x kids to Australia..and a 2 year process, and around 100 pages of CRAP paperwork for an Australian visa..)

Hope the above helps someone else through the process a bit more easily…its a bit more up to date than the advice in the original post 🙂

Hi. Is it true that the 13a now requires a Philippine joint bank account of 100,000 and proof of foreign remittance of 35,000 a month? Sounds like a lot of money! Also, one now needs to go to the embassy to get FBI check? Is it true they are making it this hard for foreigners? It is not fair that they will do this and keep us away from our family for not being rich. I only make about 10,000 a month and have no savings. But we live fine! Pls advise. Thank you!

i have the application in front of me now: item #7 Check List ie. Valid Police Clearance from country of origin or residence, if the applicant has stayed in the Philippines for less than six (6) months.

So, if you have your NBI and have lived here for more then 6 months you do not need clearance from your country of origin!

Thanks but I do not rely on luck! I went to the Immigration office in Davao and spoke with them there. They were very kind and helpful. I was advised by them to wait the six months and then apply and would receive it in 3 to 7 days! I followed their directions and did receive my NBI exactly as they said!

They have now given me the instructions for the 13 A and there was no mention of a joint bank account or any of the other details, however, I will be going to Davao this week and will ask specifically about this development and advise you of what is said?
Thanks,
Sherman Danio

May I respectfully request a non-quota immigrant visa under Section 13, paragraph A of the Philippine Immigration
Act as amended, in favor of my foreign spouse, ________________ , an _______________________________national. I am ____________________________________, a Philippine citizen. We were married in _______________ __on _________________
I am enclosing here copies of the following documents to prove my above-cited information:

I have since 6 years the 13a and be married since more than 30 years with my Philippine wife.
As I am a guy always looking very far into the future, I woud linke that you could answer me the following question.
What will happen if my wife will past away, can I still remain in the country with a 13a visa or will I be forced to make a $10,000,00 SSRV Visa for the rest of my life?

If you obtain a 13a visa, move to the Philippines, and your wife later passes away ahead of you, Rolf, it won’t be a problem, you can still keep the visa and remain in the Philippines. No need for an SRRV, you already have the 13a.

First thank you for the help you provide in this website. My question is I am on my sixth month of a 13A 1 year probationary period. I have just heard of the Annual Report. I have not done this, is there any negative impact on my stay here.

i get visa trv valid for 1 year, but immigration atorney told me i cannot get vis pemanent after 1 year becose i am pakistani and belong to poor country. ph immigration stamp permanent visa only residence belong to rich country. what a double standard?

Hi there, I’m hoping to apply for my 13a on Monday and was hoping someone here could clear up a couple of questions for me.

1) Are we required to submit proof of financial capacity? It is not listed as a requirement on the BI website, but I see a lot of people mentioning it. If so, what documents serve as proof, and what defines “financial capacity?” My Filipino husband and I don’t have a lot of savings in the bank, but he is employed locally; will his employment contract serve?

2) Which branch in Manila is best to apply at? As in, where will we be able to get in and out of the fastest? Is it best to just go to the main branch at Intramuros, or would one of the other offices be preferable?

Hi,
I have my temporary 13A that will become permanent on April 16th, 2016. I may be in the USA at that time: can I renew it from the USA and make it permanents? Or do I need to be here in the Philippines?
Thanks much!

I have another 3 years before I retire from the USAF with 24 years time in. I have a fully paid house in metro manila and hope to have my American house paid off before I am out of the mil. My plans are to spend from 2-5 months a year in the PI in a single visit, every year, with my Filipina wife (together 14 years), who is now a U.S. citizen. What is my best Visa option for both of us? Our primary residence will stay in the US.

1. If you are just coming for 4 to 5 months per year, a tourist visa waiver should do you fine. Just fly over with no visa, show your passport at the airport and you will be issued a tourist visa waiver that is good for 30 days, and can then be extended for up to 3 years.

2. Since your wife is a US Citizen now, both you and your wife could get a 13g resident visa.

3. You and your wife are eligible for the Balikbayan Privilege, also commonly called the Balikbayan Visa. This allows you a free stay for up to 1 year in the Philippines each time that you come.

Thanks. Well I received my 13A Visa from the LA Consulate today. They returned my passport with the Visa enclosed but it states “single” entry?? It also has an expiration date. Are these mistakes? It does say 13A visa though. Also, they send a sealed large envelope that reads, “opened by immigration in the Philippines only”. I am assuming that the sealed packet contains my birth cert, my spouses, birth cert, original marriage cert, etc, etc. I need those documents of course. Will I have to tell the immigration officer upon arrival that I will need my original documents? Sorry if these are stupid questions, but it seems strange to me.

When I arrived at the Manila airport, the immigration officer said that it was strange that my Visa stated “single entry”. She told me that I had to get some exception or something. She told me to report to the LOCAL immigration office and submit my paperwork.
I went to the Local immigration office (not manila) and showed them my Visa and they told me that the only office in the country that I could get an ACR card was the office in Intermuros, Manila. A few days later I took the bus and an UBER to go to the main office.
Inside the overly crowded immigration office, they sent me to a desk near the front door. The immigration officer opened my packet and said, congratulations, you got your visa in USA first and now it is much easier than applying here in Manila. I asked her what I needed additionally and she said an ACR card. She told me to make additional copies (even though I must have made over a 100 copies of documents prior to arriving at the LA consulate) and I had to buy a folder to accompany the application and the copies. I returned to the immigration officer and she gave me a number and told me to go to window 37. Like an idiot, I saw the board and it appeared they were calling numbers so I sat down. It took me 20 plus minutes to realize they were not calling numbers but people were just waiting in line at the window regardless of what number they had (If they pulled that in the USA, there would be a riot inside.) I finally walked up to the window and they told me that I needed to go to the Bureau of Quarantine. They told me to go to the information desk to get directions. After being ripped off by a trike driver, I made it there. After waiting there for over 30 minutes, I met one on one with a staff member. She told me that I had to make more copies and get more 2 by 2 photos. I did that and returned. Then a doctor reviewed my medical documents and they put a huge stamp in my passport. The staff and the doctor at the Bureau of Quarantine were much more friendly and professional than at the Immigration office. I asked the doctor: 1. Why did no one either at the consulate, the airport, or immediately at the immigration office tell me that I need to go to Quarantine first. She told me that the immigration officer at the airport was supposed to tell me to go to Quarantine first. 2. I asked her why this was even necessary since I had 2 MDs from USA sign my medical documents and the Vice Counsel in Los Angeles personally herself approved my visa which included the medical documents. She just said that everyone from every country must have their medical documents signed off here in Manila. She was very professional and apologized and she told me they the Bureau of Quarantine chief has a meeting planned with the head of immigration to discuss this problem. Well after spending close to 1000 pesos there for transportation, copies, photos, and a “medical documents” check fee, I went back to immigration.
After waiting in line for about 15 minutes, the immigration officer recognized me and called me in front of the line. He gave me my papers for the ACR card and told me to go to the cashier. After waiting about 15 minutes in line for the cashier, he told me 6000+ pesos. I was shocked because I thought I read the fee for an ACR card was $50 US not 6000 pesos. There was express lane fees included and I can assure you, there was not express lanes anywhere. Bottom line was that it took me about 4 hours to apply for the ACR card only and to make things worse they told me it would be ready for pick up in three weeks. And they told me that I would have to go back to the Intermuros office to pick it up even though I do not live in Manila. Total cost for the Visa and the ACR card cost me about $440 and that is with getting the visa for $150 at the LA Consulate. The immigration officer told me that the ACR cards are now good for 10 years but that was not true, mine was good for 5 years. In comparison, my wife’s inital 10 year GreenCard cost about $1000 or so, but in my opinion that is a better deal (Her 10 yr renewal is $400 plus) The stress, time, hassle, frustration, etc, etc was much less for her than me. If I add another $100 or so for another ACR Card in 5 years, plus transportation, lodging, etc, the cost comparison is about $500 or so less in Phil, but if I add in the 2800/2100 pesos departure taxes, etc each time then over 10 years, I believe a USA initial 10 year Green card will be about the same price (maybe even cheaper ) than a Philippines 13a visa for a 10 year period.
I can say, knowing what I know now, I would never apply for a 13A visa in Manila. Having said that, getting the visa at the consulate was not too bad but combined with having to make special trips to Intermuros/Bureau of Quarantine, I am not really sure if I would do it again. I guess for someone planning to live and not leave Philippines for years at a time, it might be worth the trouble. I welcome any comments/questions. Thanks

As I said in the other comment that you made, what you were told is incorrect. I-Cards can be done at any of the BI offices in major cities (not in the smaller towns).

The charge for an ACR card is supposed to be US$50 (or the Peso equivalent). Were you issued an Official Receipt for the P6k? Always demand on Official Receipt.

If you apply for the ACR card at a branch office (like in Davao, Cagayan, Cebu, etc) they send your application to Manila and you can usually get your card in a month or two, right at the office where you applied.

OK, before you said that the ACR I-Card was P6k. Now your receipt shows that the ACR was P2359, whic is roughly equal to US$50, which is what it should be. The other things are not ACR, they are other items that are also required. So, they charged you the proper amount.

There is no such thing as a 5 year renewal of a 13A. 13A is good for life. After 5 years you have to renew your ACR card, but not the 13a.

I guess the bottom line is I need to be prepared to pay about $130 each time for an ACR-I card to include “other fees” every 5 years. One last question: Do 13A holders still must pay the Tieza tax also?

Hi Rob, it’s my understanding that we can mail in the requirements for the 13A visa to the LA Consulate. Is that what you did? Just trying to make sure we don’t have to fly to LA and submit in person. Thanks.

Hi.
I am on a 13a (1 year prob, 5 years permanent), and initiated the first 5 year renewal here in Cebu.
I submitted all documents to Cebu, and they forwarded it to Manila.
Today, I got a call on the cellphone, from another cellphone, of somebody saying that he is from the immigration Manila and is doing a background check (?), and that he saw that my last arrival was 2010 via balikbayan. The he said that I have to submit a copy of my wife’s passport, showing that we arrived together in 2010.
The problem is, we do not have that old passport anymore.
Any idea what to do?

My wife is Filipina and I am American. Assuming that we always travel into and out of the Philippines together, can I use the Balikbayan Privilege repeatedly by leaving the Philippines before the year is up, and returning after a couple or three weeks, indefinitely?

If yes, I can avoid the hassle and expense of the 13A visa, right? We love travelling anyway.

Hi. I have been extending my visas in Butuan, Cebu and in Cagayan de Oro.
I must say that CdO was by far the most polite and fastest office I have experienced in the Phils. Complement.
The normal extension took 10 minutes and the 6 month extension 20 minutes.
The lady at the counter (very pretty) was so friendly and helpful, she even gave me a 6 month visa after the first one month extension.
I have extended at the CdO office three times and I have been pleasantly surprised every time.

Hi, great article.
I plan to move to Manila with my Filipino wife in July 2018. I am planning to use the Balikbayan Privilege.
However, we may progress a 13a after 6 months. Your article is very useful.
I am a UK passport holder. Can you advise if you had to do any medical tests as part of your application?
I have read that with “In Country Application” as in while in Philippines, they are not required?
Thank you very much for your assistance.
Cheers
Allan

What this article doesn’t have and should add to this excellent article!
It’s when a person’s Philippine Citizen Spouse dies, the 13A Visa becomes canceled. I talk from up close and personal experience, when I refer to what happened.
For many years, because of my marriage to a dual U.S.-RP Citizen, I was able to get 13A Visa and with it an Alien Certificate of Registration(ACR). At the time the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said I could keep my ACR, even if my Philippine Spouse died.
As John Miele correctly states that the 13A Visa can be done WITHOUT A FIXER! Like John, I had to leave the country, a few times a year and had to pay the money expected of ACR Holders.Thankfully, I didn’t pay like John did and paid in high 4 digits.
When my wife died in 2014, I called the BI and informed them of her death. At that time, the BI told me I could stay in the country. And so for the first 60 days evey year, I paid the required P310 and got fingerprinted.
My ACR would expire on June 28, 2016 and so I completed the BI requirements before going to the BI Main Office at the Intramuros, Manila. On the BI Document, there were 4 status of the applicant and I placed widower.
I went to the BI Main Office with all the requirements. I handed the documents and a checker looked at my document. He saw that I had checked off widower. He asked me to stand in front of the window as he got a BI Lawyer. The BI Lawyer said my 13A Visa was canceled DUE TO MY WIFE’S DEATH. He had me go up to the second floor and again informed my 13A Visa was canceled. I was informed I had 11 days to complete my business and had to be on a jet no later than June 28, 2016. This was highly stressful and by June 28, 2016, I left the country under voluntary departure.
ASK THE BI LAWYERS AND GET A LEGAL OPINION ON A DOCUMENT- what if my Philippine Citizen Spouse dies, what happens to my 13A Visa?

Hi sir john! Your article is so helpful, im a filipina with a korean spouse and a little bit confused about the requirements. Do we need to prepare his evidence for financial support and a medical certificate? If we need medical certificate, can we make it inside the bldg of BI? I hope you can help me, i went there yesterday and asked the information but maybe she’s too busy and failed to accomodate me well. I tried to call numerous times today but nobody is answering the line. Thank you very much in advance.

Hi sir john! Your article is so helpful, im a filipina and married to a korean national. I’m a little bit confused about the requirements. Do we need to prepare his evidence for financial support and a medical certificate? If we need medical certificate, can we make it inside the bldg of BI? I hope you can help me, i went there yesterday and asked the information but maybe she’s too busy and failed to accomodate me well. I tried to call numerous times today but nobody is answering the line. Thank you very much in advance.

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hi friend ,,, am married to Filipina and wanna apply for 13A visa soon but my question is if I got it do I need to stay and no exit for 1 year or am free to travel any time after getting the permanent visa 13A ,, because of course I have a work in other country. help me and give me the correct reply if possible ,,, thank a lot.

hi friends ,,, am married to Filipina and wanna apply for 13A visa soon but my question is if I got it do I need to stay and no exit for 1 year or am free travel any time after getting the permanent visa 13A ,, because of course I have a work in other country. kindly some 1 help me and give me the correct reply ,,, thank a lot for all

Hi Bob
Great post John. I have a question. I married my Filipina 2 years ago in Hong Kong. I am planning to apply for the 13A, because I intend to retire in the Philippines with her. But I am wondering if it would make a problem for the application the fact that we married in Hong Kong and not the Philippines? Your post stated that a requirement is: “NSO authenticated copy of the Marriage Contract of alien and Filipino spouse or authenticated by the Philippine embassy/consulate nearest to or in the place where the marriage was solemnized”…

Guys a need a hand!! Firstly apologies for my English. In the Philippine government website I ve read that some countries like mine, Spain, have no reciprocal immigration agreement with Philippines so we will never be allowed to have a 13a permanent residence visa. By the way I forgot to mention that I m married to a Filipina since last June. It’s true what I m saying? I guess it is. See: http://www.immigration.gov.ph/faqs/visa-inquiry/permanent-resident-visa

Hello! Are those countries listed on your provided link is the full list? I don’t have much information about this but i am filipina married to a south korean and my husband got his 13a visa already. Korea is not in your link. Regarding the medical certificate for foreign nationals I saw the list of countries that they required/not required. Not all countries have to do so. I hope you get your visa very soon.

Hello Celyn ….. i made a mistake when reviewing that list on my phone hahahah i never noticed that you can move to the right side of the screen side where there are more countries … hahahah so disregard my post